How to Decorate With Faux Metallic Finishes

Faux Bronze Patina

• 1

  Clean the surface of the material that you're painting the faux metallic finish onto with a cleaner formulated for use with your material type and a sponge. Rinse off the cleanser with clean water, and then pat the surface dry with paper towels.

• 2

  Paint the base coat for the finish onto the surface with a paintbrush for smaller surfaces or to paint hard to reach surfaces, and a paint roller for larger surfaces. Use a latex satin paint for the base coat, building up the base with two thin layers of the paint applied. For bronze patina, use a base coat of deep bronze. Allow the base coat two hours drying time.

• 3

  Apply the patina to the bronze base coat with a sponge coat placed over the base with a natural sea sponge for a random look. Use turquoise and gold/bronze metallic paint to sponge the patina effects over the base coat. Place the two paints into separate paint trays.

• 4

  Dip the tip of a sponge into the paint then remove any dripping paint from the sponge by blotting it several times on the ridged portion of the roller then tapping it a couple of times on a paper towel. You want a light layer of paint on the sponge for application.

• 5

  Pat the surface over the base-coat with the paint-cover sponge using a light pressure to apply the paint to the wall. Apply the paint from the center of the surface towards the edges, patting first the turquoise paint then the gold/bronze metallic. The combination of the two colors creates a natural greenish patina over the base of bronze, making the surface appear as aged bronze.

• 6

  Soften the patina by blotting the applied paint with a lamb's wool pad as soon as you place it onto the base-coat. Allow the sponge coat to dry overnight.

• 7

  Cover the surface with a semi-gloss or gloss clear coat to protect the surface and to provide a slight shine over the paint job. Use a brush and paint roller to apply the clear coat, and then wait overnight for the clear coat to dry.

Faux Gold Leaf

• 8

  Prime the surface with two layers of silver metallic paint. Use a paint roller to apply the paint using two thin layers to create the solid primed coating. Allow the primer to dry for about two or three hours before continuing.

• 9

  Apply a layer of gold metallic paint using a paint roller to create a checkerboard pattern for effect. Keep the gold layer thin enough that the silver primer is still slightly visible beneath.

• 10

  Place a tile shaped stencil over the surface with the squares covering the checkerboard pattern. Use a trowel to apply a Shimmerstone or Lusterstone architectural trowel-on coating over the diagonal facing checkerboard squares. Tint the Shimmerstone with a Tuscan sun tint, or use the Medallion Gold Lusterstone unaltered. Apply a light texture, so the metallic paint remains visible.

• 11

  Cover the surface with another layer of the gold metallic paint, using a crosshatching pattern. Use a rag to remove any marks left over from the roller application. Pat with the rag, constantly changing the direction of your hand onto the wall to avoid creating a pattern. Allow two hours drying time.

• 12

  Cover the surface with a light layer of iridescent gold metallic paint to add a slight shininess over the metallic gold paint. Pat the surface down with the rag to avoid buildup of the paint and to avoid a set pattern over the original checkerboard. Let the surface to dry two hours. Roll on a layer of semi-gloss clear coat over the surface to provide a protective coat, and to create a shine on the surface. Allow the surface to dry overnight.