This month I would like to dispel a myth. Someone was recently visiting my retail shoppe and interior design center and commented that they loved all the different faux finishes on the walls and would love to put some faux finishing in their home, but they had heard that faux finishing was out of style. It is time to set the record straight.
Let’s use a fashion analogy. Take blue jeans, for example. While different STYLES of jeans may be “in” or “out” depending on the year, jeans never really go out of style. The same is true for faux finishing. Styles and colors may change to reflect current trends, but faux finishing is a staple of interior design. The century’s old process of using multiple colors, techniques, textured paints, and even plasters to create a one of a kind environment has improved in many ways over time.
When done by a certified professional, faux finishing provides many benefits. The products used today are some of the safest, most green, products available. Unlike wall paper, faux finishes can be created and mixed to match any color palette and pattern you desire. When you decide to redo wallpaper, you must pay someone to remove the old wall paper, repair, and repaint the damaged walls. If you decide to redo faux finishing, it’s as simple as repainting without the need to prime the walls.
A faux finish is a “one of a kind” piece of art on your walls. No two are ever the same. You will not see the same room in anyone else’s home. As a designer, I put “my money where my mouth is”. The photo represents my most recent award winning parade house at 4164 Alistair Road in Winston Salem. Builder Don Hamrick, faux artisan Leigh Ann Alexander, and I teamed up to create this fantastic dining room.
You are looking at a faux finish and NOT wall paper (notice there are no seams). This technique allowed me to stay true to Don’s Energy Star and green building standards and still have the ability to match the color perfectly with the colors in the fabric I selected. The possibilities are endless, so don’t be afraid to “go with the faux”.
