I used to have a business with a sign on the wall. It said: good, fast or cheap… Pick two. It was a philosophy I stuck to when dealing with clients. You can have it good and fast, but it won’t be cheap. You can have it good and cheap, but it won’t be fast. And you can have it fast and cheap, but it won’t be good.
I mention this because when it comes to home decor, these same rules generally apply. I say generally because it is possible to have all three. And the way to do that is to do the work yourself. If done correctly, that is. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s going to take a long time, it’s not going to be good, and it’s certainly going to be expensive because you may end up calling a professional to fix your mess.
However, when it comes to faux wall finishes and specialty paint, you might be surprised at how easily the techniques can be learned. And unlike do-it-yourself plumbing, if you make a mistake, it won’t cost thousands of dollars to fix. just paint it.
With that in mind, let’s drop some of the basics and start giving your home the look that’s usually reserved for a $60-an-hour designer.
First: don’t go crazy. Most people, when they start honing specialty painting, start mixing conflicting styles and going overboard with things. A little goes a long way. You don’t necessarily want a faux wall finish to jump out when you enter a room. It’s an accessory, not the main event. Marbling is fun, but you don’t want your bathroom to look like a sheikh’s palace. I’d bump into your Target rug anyway. So maybe you choose a wall you want to accent with a texturing technique, a multi-toned paint job, or a simple glaze.
Second: As the first rule, do not fall in love with a color. Some finishes and techniques don’t belong in your home, just like some colors will never work in some spaces. A rustic ranch doesn’t lend itself to a faux cinder block wall. And just because you love a color, doesn’t mean it will look good on your wall. When choosing colors, be sure to take the environment into account; furniture, carpets, ceilings and hallways. Also, you need to consider how natural light will affect the appearance of the colors. Get small samples of your paintings so you can see them on your walls. You may not love them that much.
Finally: Don’t think you have to use advanced techniques. I know a lot of talented designers who can do anything, but 90% of the work they get paid for is simple. A good sponge, some good brushes and a bag of rags will transform a wall into something beautiful. Rolling up a rag doesn’t take much longer than painting a bare wall, but you’ll be amazed at how it looks like you spent days achieving that look. Also, you can learn the harder stuff later.
In my next article, I will give tips on how to work with materials. What do you need and how to use them. After that, we’ll move on to the fun stuff.