DIY Faux Brick on a Deep Red Wall

Dust the wall from the top down with a duster. Wash your wall with a cloth and household cleaner to remove dirt and marks. Dip a clean cloth in water to rinse the cleaner off the walls. Wait 24 hours for the wall to dry.

Line a tape measure along the length of the wall at the start of the wall. Mark the wall every 4 inches down the length of the wall to indicate rows of bricks. Affix long strips of ½- or ¾-inch-wide blue painter’s tape horizontally from one end of the wall to the other at the markings. The width of the tape you use determines the width of the faux mortar lines between the bricks.

Place a 4-inch piece of tape vertically every 8 inches on the top row to create the appearance of bricks. Create a half-sized brick with the tape in the beginning of the second row. Find the midpoint of each brick on the first row and place a 4-inch piece of tape vertically under the midpoint of the top row of bricks to create the start and finish of each new brick on the row underneath. This creates a staggered look that appears more authentic. Continue the pattern for each row.

Place a drop cloth or sheet on the floor to protect it from paint splatters or spills. Stir the beige- or black-tinted latex glaze with a stirring stick. Beige-tinted glaze lightens up the red color for a brownish result while black-tinted glaze keeps with the dark hues of the deep red. Pour the glaze into a paint tray.

Dip one side of the natural sea sponge into the tinted latex glaze. Blot excess paint off the sponge with a paper towel. Pat the sponge on the wall, working from the middle of the wall toward the corners. Twist your hand in different directions while sponging the walls to create texture and to avoid a pattern.

Dip a clean sea sponge into water. Wring the water out of the sponge. Pat the sponge on the wall to remove some of the glaze, allowing the deep red base color to show through. Allow the glaze to dry based on the manufacturer’s directions.

Stir the yellow- or white-tinted glaze with a clean paint stirrer and pour the glaze into a clean paint tray. Yellow-tinted glaze complements the brown-tinted coat and white-tinted glaze pairs with the black-tinted coat.

Dip a clean sea sponge into yellow-tinted or white-tinted glaze. Highlight the wall with small amounts of the glaze to create more depth and less of a monochromatic look, if desired. Allow the glaze to dry based on the manufacturer’s directions.

Remove the painter’s tape to reveal the appearance of mortar lines. These lines will appear the base color of deep red. Stir the putty-tinted glaze. Dip a thin paintbrush into the paint. Paint the mortar lines between the bricks. This may require two to three coats to cover the deep red. Allow the glaze to dry between coats, based on the manufacturer's directions.