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If you’re looking to go beyond ordinary wall paint and make a completely unique statement, then you might want to consider a faux finish. The amount of look that you can get from faux finishes are unlimited however some choices are more popular than others.

Types of Faux Finishes to Chose

Venetian Plaster

For a textured finish that resembles stucco or polished marble, Venetian plaster can be used to give your interior the feel of old-world Europe. The plaster is applied with a putty knife at a 15-30 degree angle to the floor. Once this first coat has dried, the second coat of plaster is applied at a 60-90 degree angle.

Sponging

Sponging is another technique that can add texture and depth to a wall surface. The term sponging actually can refer to two different techniques: sponging on and sponging off. As the names imply, sponging on is when the paint is applied to the wall with a sponge and sponging off is when the paint is applied with a roller and then removed with a sponge.

Whether you choose to sponge on or sponging off depends on how dramatic or subtle you wish the final result to be. Sponging on gives a more dramatic and textured appearance while the end results of sponging off tend to be more subtle.

Ragging

Similar to sponging ragging can give a textured appearance and can either be done with the rag on the method or the rag off method. The end results can be subtle or dramatic depending on your tastes.

Artisan Finish

Another popular finish that gives the appearance of European marble or stone is artisan finish which can be applied to drywall or wood. What makes this style attractive to so many homeowners is the fact that the paint color appears to change based on how the light is shining.

Various applications for artisan finish include tissue paper, crackle, and leaf each giving its own unique look.

Sandstone Finish

Stone finish paints are perhaps the easiest and least expensive choice of all the faux finishes. It involves using paint with a sandy texture that is gritty to the touch when dry. This gives the appearance of a stone wall.

The application is the same as regular paint and, just like regular paint, you can get stone finish paints in just about any color you wish.

Brushed Suede and Leather finishes

In days gone by, many of society’s elite covered their walls in leather. While this would be an extremely expensive prospect today, you can still get the luxurious appearance through the use of a brushed suede or leather paint.

The look is achieved by applying a base coat in small sections at a time with a ½ inch nap roller. Before the base coat dries, the entire wall is covered to smooth out lap marks. Finally, a wide brush is used to apply the suede paint on the wall in a series of overlapping X marks to create variations of color tone.

Of course, there are many more options faux finishes to choose from – you are limited only by your imagination.

There are lots of people out there who are born do-it-yourself. In some cases, this can be a good thing, as it is almost always certainly more economical to go to your local hardware store and buy a few cans of paint than it is to hire a professional painter. After all, when you hire a professional, you will have to pay for labour.

Reasons to Hire Professional Painter

Lead paint.

If your home was built prior to 1978, it is strongly recommended that you hire a professional who is certified to deal with lead paint. Improper removal can lead to toxic dust which can be very dangerous.

Professional painters are quick.

In addition to the time you would spend if you had to purchase your own paint, rollers and trays, a novice painter usually takes much more time than a professional would. Much of this extra time is due to the fact that a newbie painter must use tape where a veteran of the painting world is able to work freehand. There are also many other details that you may have to consider such as repairing damaged walls, filling holes etc.

Professional painters get the job done right

Unlike novice painters, a professional painter will be more easily able to assess the job and know what is needed before he starts. A professional painter is very accurate in estimating how much paint will be needed for a particular job and what tools he will have to bring along. In other words: no running out to get refills or realizing mid project that he can’t reach that 25 foot ceiling!

You have a big job.

Even if you are a great do-it-yourselfer and you love to paint, you may still want to hire a professional painter if you have a job that is very large. Professional painters make recommendations. You may think that “sunflower yellow” will go perfect with your grandmother’s antique dining room set. And maybe it will. But a professional painter may know different. Since colour’s on paint sample cards rarely look the same once they are on your wall, having the help of a professional can save you a lot of time and headache.

Often, a professional painter will offer to put some paint samples up on the wall so that you can get a better idea of how a particular colour will look in your room. A professional will also make sure that you get the right type of paint for your particular job so you won’t have to worry about having a paint that marks easily in a high traffic area.

In some cases DIY painting can cost you more than a professional. Let’s face it, painting is disruptive because you can’t use a room while it’s being painting. While hiring a professional painter disrupts your use of a room for a few hours, DIY painting can disrupt a room for a week or longer – especially if you work full time and have to do your painting bit by bit. And if the place that is being painted happens to be a store showroom – or an apartment or house that your are trying to rent, then you need to factor in not only the price of the painter, but also any lost revenue that you will have from the job not being done quickly.

Conclusion

When it comes to painting, doing it yourself can be the right choice for some people some of the time – but if the job is a big one, you’re short on time or you simply would rather let someone else take care of all the details that come with painting, then hiring a professional may just be the right choice for you.