Glaze Finishes on Walls

I am of the opinion that pithy, clever bits of advice make any project seem more fun and approachable.

"A little faux goes a long way. You can overfaux," she warns. "Subtlety is key." She said all this sternly, so I got the impression she had witnessed the unspeakable crime of overfauxing.

But the longer we talked, the more I learned about the flexibility of faux finishes and how easy they can be. Basically, a faux finish is created by layering paints and glazes and manipulating them with such items as combs, rags, even wadded-up newspaper.

"I'm an interior decorator, but I'm no artist," Melissa says. Her talent for applying faux finishes has not come through any formal training but from an inordinate amount of practice. In fact, on that note, she has another bit of advice: "You must practice, practice, practice."

To perfect her techniques, Melissa practices on 2' x 4' pieces of gypsum drywall. Not only does this give her a chance to get the look just right, it also lets her see what the finish will look like on a wall. Most importantly, it keeps her from putting less-than-perfect finishes on the wall itself.

"A faux finish doesn't have to shout at you to be good," she says. "It can look contrived. My goal is to give things character. These finishes, when they're applied with some restraint, can make a house or a piece of furniture look like it's been there a long time."

While many of Melissa's clients request faux finishes in a bath or a kitchen, she prefers smaller, more subtle applications. "Moulding can be very pretty when it's antiqued," she comments. "My favorite thing on furniture is to load it up with paint, then beat it up for a beautiful distressed finish."

But Melissa encourages other do-it-yourselfers to try faux finishes on most any surface that will take paint. Mouldings, walls, ceilings, even concrete floors-she has tackled them all.

"The key is having the right products," she explains. "If you don't have the right products available, then you're up a creek. But once you've selected the proper materials, then you're set. There's nothing hard about faux finishes-you've just got to practice."

To create a glaze finish on walls similar to those found in Melissa's living room, follow these simple steps.

To achieve a subtle faux finish for your wall, you'll need two things-the right materials and lots of practice.

Step 1: Gather your materials (see Toolbox above).

Step 2: Practice your technique on scrap gypsum drywall or 1/4" plywood board.

Step 3: Prime and paint a base coat of American Tradition, Georgian Gold Ecru #715-2, with a flat finish.

Step 4: Mix Valspar's glaze coat with Valspar's Mocha translucent glaze in a white bucket according to this recipe-one part paint to three parts glaze.

Step 5: Cover the base coat with the glaze mixture using a brush or roller. Quickly wipe off and blend the glaze around with clean cotton rags or a sponge until you get the desired effect.

Step 6: Add more glaze coat if the glaze mixture is going on too dark. if it is too light, add more Mocha glaze to darken the finish.

Step 7: Once satisfied with a sample, premix all the glaze to be used in a room. Read the label for approximate ' age to ensure enough glaze to cover the room. Premixing will save you the headache of trying to match the mixture later. Always mark and save some glaze for later touchups too.

Step 8: Glaze the smallest wall first. Work from wall to wall, completing each as you go. It is important to finish a whole wall quickly because the glaze dries fast and picking back up in the middle of a wall will leave an unintended line.

Step 9: Apply a second layer of glaze for a richer look. Allow the appropriate drying time between the two glaze coats.

Step 10: When all the walls are done and approved, apply a coat of clear protector to the new finish.

Originally published in Lowe's Creative Ideas for Home and Garden September/October 2001 ©SPC Custom Publishing.