How to Create Fresco Walls for a Kitchen

Bring a touch of Italy to your kitchen by creating fresco walls, a simple way to add color and style to your cooking space. As with many faux finishing projects, refined painting skills are not required to get the look you want, though you should refrain from applying the paint mixture in thick globs that can easily come loose from walls. Remember to keep windows open with fresco or any paint job to avoid too much paint fume inhalation.

Old sheets
Painter's tape
Drop cloth
Joint compound
Three compound troughs
Latex base paint
Latex matte paint
Latex gloss paint
Mixing sticks
Plaster blade
Sea sponge mitt

Instructions

- 1
  Remove all furniture, kitchen tools and kitchen decor pieces that may get paint spilled on them. If you choose to remove appliances and knickknacks only, use old sheets to cover kitchen tables and chairs. Apply painter's tape to all applicable walls and doorways and put a drop cloth down around your wall perimeters.
- 2
  Mix a base latex paint with joint compound using a mixing stick. Pour joint compound into a trough and slowly add your base paint until you have the desired tint. Do not overmix the paint with the compound, as the compound's white color is what creates the "fresco" appearance. Add the latex matte and gloss paints in the same manner; use one paint per trough of joint compound.
- 3
  Apply the base paint and compound mix to the center of your plaster blade and work the mixture onto the walls in small sections. Blend the mixture out and around your starting point until you have created a thin layer of base paint and compound over the entire wall, and don't forget to apply mixture to wall corners.
- 4
  Spread the matte paint and compound mix on the wall following the base-paint compound application in the same manner. Do not over-blend the mixture.
- 5
  Apply the gloss paint and compound mix to your wall following complete application of the matte and compound mix. Use a dampened sea sponge mitt to apply the gloss paint mix. Coat the sponge surface evenly with the mix using a mixing stick. Again, refrain from over-blending.
- 6
  Allow to dry for about 24 hours. Perform a touch test to ensure the mixture is fully dry, then remove the painter's tape and drop cloth. Remove sheets from furniture and bring all appliances and decor pieces back into your kitchen.

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