Paint Resource Library Articles: Get the Look of Luxury Wall Coverings (The Paint Quality Institute)

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GET THE LOOK OF LUXURY WALL COVERINGS BY USING TOP QUALITY INTERIOR PAINTS

Love the look of luxurious wallcoverings, but hate the price? More and more homeowners are turning to decorative interior painting techniques as affordable alternatives. These can reproduce a textured appearance that resembles leather, suede, watered silk or marble.

The basic technique involves applying a solid-color paint base coat, allowing it to dry, then adding one or more coats of “glaze” (a mixture of latex paint, latex extender, and water). The glaze coats are then manipulated with a sea sponge, rag, comb, or other tool while still wet, to produce patterns that replicate texture in the paint.

Experts at The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute recommend using top quality interior latex paint because of its superior application and performance characteristics. Top quality latex paints go on more smoothly and cover better than ordinary paints, tend to hold their color longer and resist stains and scrubbing.

Here are some additional tips to help you achieve the look that you want from your decorative painting project:

Use drop cloths to protect floors, furniture and other surfaces. Because thin glazes tend to spatter more than paint, taking proper precautions saves cleanup time.

Use painter’s tape around baseboards, molding, window and door frames, and where ceilings and walls abut. Also, use drop cloths on the floor and over furniture.

One key to a professional-looking job is getting into the corners. Adapt application tools to fit (for example, cutting the sea sponge into a smaller wedge, or snipping off a corner of cloth from the rag), or improvise using cotton swabs, toothbrushes, feathers, etc.

Applying two or more glaze colors tends to give the illusion of depth when the lighter glaze is applied over the darker one. However, using the darker color over the lighter produces a more defined, textured look. To maintain a uniform appearance, use consistent pressure as you apply (or remove) the glaze. Also, keep all application materials free of excess paint. It’s a good idea to have a few sponges and a supply of rags on hand.

Before you begin, plan your “breaks.” It’s easier to continue the same pattern and produce a consistent finish if you complete the whole room before taking a break. If this isn’t possible, work up to a natural break – a doorway, chair rail, or corner – before stopping.

When choosing colors, it’s best to err on the side of subtlety until you gain more experience. A useful approach is to use neutral colors and choose two (or more) shades from the same color card.

Work quickly when using a technique that involves removing rolled-on glaze from the wall (e.g., sponging off or ragging off). It’s best to work with a partner so that one of you can apply the glaze and the other can follow, using the sponge or rag to remove it. If you are working alone, consider a technique that involves applying glaze to the wall (such as marbleizing, sponging or ragging).

Use only top quality interior latex paint, which will help preserve your investment of time and creativity. According to The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute, top of the line interior latex paint is specially formulated to resist staining, fading, and other paint failures.