How to Make Faux Wall Finishes

Textured Walls

• 1

  Remove any old wallpaper from your walls. Wet the wallpaper with warm water from a spray bottle and then scrape the paper off the wall with a wallpaper scraper. If your walls do not have wallpaper, sand the old paint with a 600-grit sanding block to prep the surface for the plaster.

• 2

  Mix a 5-gallon bucket of plaster and apply ¼-inch coating of plaster to the surface of the wall. If you plan to do a brick pattern, apply the plaster slightly thicker. Wait approximately 20 minutes before moving on. This gives the plaster some time to thicken up and adhere to the wall.

• 3

  Apply texture to the wall. One method is to texture the entire wall by rolling a lamb's wool paint roller across the surface of the plaster lightly. This gives the wall a stone texture. Or, press a fern leaf into the plaster. When you remove it, the plaster retains an imprint of the leaf. You can do the same with a seashell or any other item. Another method is to create a brick pattern on the wall using the tip of a butter knife or a wooden handle, after you texture the wall with the paint roller. Texture the wall using anything you wish. Once you apply the texture, wait at least 48 hours for the plaster to fully dry.

• 4

  Paint the surface with a flat or semi latex paint. For example, if you went with a brick pattern, paint the wall a brownish red and then paint the brick outlines with a sand color. This will simulate a red brick wall.

Marble Finish

• 5

  Prepare the wall surfaces by filling in any cracks or dents in the wall with plaster. After allowing the plaster time to dry, sand the wall with a 600-grit sanding block to smooth the surface. When creating a faux stone look like marble, you must start with a flat surface. Any imperfections will ruin the look of the finish.

• 6

  Section the wall into 6-foot squares with a tape measure and pencil. When painting the wall, change the direction you apply the paint in each square. For example, paint from left to right with the first square and then paint up and down on the adjacent square. Alternate this process for each square. This will give the illusion that each square is a separate stone block.

• 7

  Apply white and gray latex paint in a diagonal wavy stripe pattern in the first square and then blend the two colors together with a dry paintbrush. Make the result a blotchy pattern of gray and white with some overlapping mixtures. If you want a dark stone, substitute the latex paint with yellow ochre and brown latex paint. Allow adequate drying time before moving on.

• 8

  Mix the latex paint with a clear glazing compound. Mix one part paint with four parts glaze. Streak the paint on in lines and dots with a paintbrush in a random pattern to add additional texture.

• 9

  Add one part paint to four parts acrylic lacquer or urethane lacquer and coat the wall. Acrylic lacquer will provide a higher gloss with stronger protection. Urethane lacquer will give a milky look but slightly less protection. However, both will add to the stone look of the faux finish.