As a homeowner, you understand that the color of your walls is a great way to enhance your home's character and, in turn, your own life. But there's an extra step you can take once you've ensured that every room in your home has that great paint job. With a bit of artistry, you can kick up a room’s brand-new color a notch, reflect light, and make a space look larger. How? By using glazing, faux stonework, faux marble and wood techniques applied over professionally painted walls.

I have worked for a number of years with the well-known faux finisher and artist Rae Rau. In her words:

“Wall finishes are designed to be a perfect background for the room. You should let your own style shine front and center. Our goal is to create a finish that is beautiful in its own right, but is best seen in the context of a completed room, one that makes the whole thing spectacular and harmonious.”

Here are some of my favorite wall techniques:

• Painted stripes and borders
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• Visual texture or actual texture on the walls, such as large faux stonework in an entry hall or faux marble in bath

• Trompe l'oeil clouds, butterflies, leaves

• Sponged metallic finishes in solids and patterns that are both shimmery and stone-like

• A subtle finish such as combed walls or strie creates a lovely and soft wash of color in any room

• A faux wood finish on the walls or cabinets can add charm to a kitchen or fireplace mantel

 
New product lines are being manufactured and designed specifically for decorative painters, allowing them to create new, durable finishes for the walls and promote new techniques. Remember, before choosing a decorative paint finish for any room, walls must be primed and then painted by professionals with two coats of high-quality latex paint, either in a flat or an eggshell finish.

[all images: Judith Cohen of judithcohendesign.com]