There’s been a lot of talk lately on the inter webs about faux finishing and whether it’s out of style. Well I am here to say it is not. I have listed the 5 main reasons why faux finishing is still an avid part of decorating and design.
- Faux finishing has evolved. As any other profession or market, it evolves, and so does the decorative painter. The art of faux finishing has been around since the beginning of time. It was originally found in cave painting to ancient Egypt. Plaster and stucco finishes have been around since the Mesopatamia era over 5,000 years ago. Fast forward to the late 80’s faux finishing was known as artistic finishes such as rag rolling, sponge painting, and feather dusting. In the first part of the 21st century approached we saw ourselves evolving into the “Tuscan era”. Faux finishing was very popular creating textured wall treatments in earth tone colors and rich wood tones with grand design. As we began to enter the Great Recession, design and decor began to change again. This time as the housing crisis happened, people were not able to spend money on their homes like they did previously. Faux finishers began to add things like cabinet painting to their portfolio. As homeowners began to update their existing homes rather than building new. Now we are applying amazing “modern texture” finishes to surfaces.
- Faux finishers have a “special set of skills” Faux finishing has always been the ability to make something look like another item. For centuries, we have created finishes that replicate the finest marble and wood. Some of the greatest buildings in the world are full of these finishes and still replicated today. You will still find these techniques done in modern hotels and churches. We can create a counter top that looks like marble or granite rather than installing a new one. Paint decade old ceramic tile to look like it came from Morocco. In the photo below I was asked to change an existing white ceramic tile into an Italian 8 point star tile. You can read the blog post about how I executed this faux tile finish here
Fixer Upper Inspired Painted Tile
- We offer unique ways to solve problems and ultimately save our clients time and money. I’ve had some instances where a marble slab was installed on a fireplace and the edges required some artistic “finessing”. My job was to paint the side so as to make it look like the slab was thicker instead of showing the drywall. Or when a travertine countertop was damaged and I was hired to come in and “faux” the damaged area so it would disappear. In the photo down below, I was hired to “faux” the outlet covers on this marble backsplash to make them disappear.
Outlet covers were painted to “disappear” on this backslash
- Decorative painting and faux techniques can be applied seamlessly where wallpaper cannot. Wallpaper is super popular with designers and decorators right now, but there is an advantage to using a decorative finish rather than wallpaper. One of the main advantages, is you have more versatility with decorative finishes. One can create a custom color for a client, rather than choosing from a book. Another is faux finishes can be applied in places that wallpaper just would not work. Take for instance, this decorative finish I applied to a 30ft long barrel ceiling with a groin vault in the middle. There would be no good way to lay this out with wallpaper, but with decorative finishes, the end result is seamless.
Custom metallic decorative finish applied by Stacey Van Gundy
- We don’t just paint walls and ceilings. A good faux finisher / decorative painter can paint just about anything. We are super particular about creating a durable finish and take great pride in our work. We have been known to paint everything from countertops, and floors, backsplashes and cabinets to furniture. You will also find us working as theatrical scene painters, fine artists, furniture artists, art and antique furniture restoration and building restoration.
Adding a faux finisher / decorative painter is an asset you cannot do without. If you have not yet added someone to your biz, I recommend checking out IDAL (International Decorative Artisans League) to find a faux finisher near you. If you are looking to start a career as a faux finisher / decorative painter and learning how to do these and more fabulous finishes, head to my Certified Home Decor Artist Training Course ™ and get on the waitlist!