Sometimes it?s time to make a statement in your room or office. Eyes need to light up or be drawn to the minimal furniture, the careful color choices. This is when having some texture on your walls can make a huge impact. One of the easiest of these textures to pull off is faux bois, fake wood finish.
To start a faux finish job of any kind, primer goes on first. Make sure that your surface is sanded smooth, cleaned, and ready for primer before applying, otherwise you?ll be left with the possibility of imperfections in your final product. Choose a color of primer that you think will lend itself to the final hue of the project as it will affect the color of your enamel. Once dry, apply the enamel paint of your chosen color to the wall. The fun part is on its way. Be patient.
If going for a realistic wood look, you?ll want to choose both a base coat of enamel and a stain that looks comparable to the tones of the wood you?re looking to emulate. Part of the intrigue of faux bois is that it can come out looking so glossy and clean while still bestowing the touch of warmth that wood gives to a room. Of course, it?s possible to choose any color for these projects, so if you?re envisioning a room lined with glossy planks of a cyan oak then that is your prerogative.
When you have your stain ready, apply it to the surface with a roller or other applicator in a way that will lend an even distribution. This step is important if you want to use a wood pattern on your wall and is different from other methods of faux bois in which something is given a basic grain pattern. That might work well for inspiring a little life into an aging cabinet, but these are the walls of your room! They deserve better.
Feeling creative and courageous? It?s time to pattern. For realistic wood patterns, you?ll need to borrow or purchase a wood grain roller. These rollers are meant to emulate the patterns of actual planks of wood along with all of their imperfections. There are sections for knots, as well as the normal striations, that you?re used to seeing in wood paneling.
The creativity comes in when deciding exactly how much to rock back and forth when using these rollers. Rocking back and forth slightly often produces patterns that change quickly and will feature multiple knots in the grain. Slow rocking of the roller produces elongated and abstract patterns that suggest and evoke rather than strictly imitate the patterning of real wood.
Once happy with your patterns, use a sealer to ensure that your work stays protected and looking great for as long as possible. We recommend trying this kind of project out on a small piece of material similar to your wall before going too big with it and not being able to turn back. If you?re feeling daunted by your painting project, we?re the Houston painting company to help you out. Pro Painters has been serving the Houston area for nearly 20 years and is passionate about painting projects, large and small. Give us a call at 281-870-2417 for a free quote and learn how we can help you.
