Ready, Set, Faux!

In this era of portable, disposable and automatic, our lives are becoming a little … well, faux. It’s hard to find something to grab onto, sink our teeth into and believe in. Which is why it’s really no surprise that there’s a movement to find things that counterbalance the flightiness of our lives. Answering this call is none other than faux finishing.

Faux finishes tend to fall into two buckets: there are the “fantasy finishes,” such as ragging and sponging to add texture to a surface, which any do-it-yourselfer can accomplish in a weekend, and then there are more sophisticated finishes such as faux stone and marble, woodgraining and trompe l’oeil. The latter is designed to look like the real thing and is the province of trained artisans. Jim Esch Magazine caught up with two leaders in the field of faux to learn more about these interesting techniques.

Reality and Illusion

This replicated wall is so realistic that Hirsch was accused of defacing a historic Irish castle. By Martin Alan Hirsch.

Martin Alan Hirsch is the owner of The Faux Finish School in Louisville, Ky. He is a sought after master in the art of faux finishing and teaches decorative painting for beginners to advanced. Hirsch’s work can be found worldwide and is so realistic that people often have to touch it to believe what they’re seeing is not the real thing.

Hirsch fell in love with the business when he saw metal elevator doors that had been painted to resemble solid mahogany. “I was fascinated and knew that I had to be a part of this,” recalls Hirsch who now leads students on a tour of decorative finishes in Italy every year. “I specialize in Renaissance and European type decors, and my clients come to me because they’re craving the permanence that faux finishes provide.”

“Cost and speed,” says Hirsch, “are some of the pluses of faux finishes.” Cost benefits come when the desired effect is for a hard-to-find material, and speed is a big plus for popular looks favoring an aged or distressed patina. “Rust is a big trend this year, but the real thing takes time and is messy. Plus, who wants to have rust rub off on their clothes?” Rust is part of a current trend to use faux outside, Hirsch explains, and his studio, transformed to look like an Italian villa, beautifully displays faux’s many possibilities, both inside and out.

Faux gray suede and Carrara marble blocks. By Martin Alan Hirsch.

Decorative finishes have been around for centuries. Woodgraining was found in ancient pyramids, and trompe l’oeil was discovered in the ruins of Pompeii. Fresh approaches, however, continue to be invented, even today. Hirsch predicts we’ll see more verdigris finishes this year, as well as his specialty: rich Old World looks like layered peeling paint and Tuscan plaster. Lime washing, marble and tortoiseshell will also continue to be popular.

For an inspiring look at both classical and contemporary faux options, check out “Sophisticated Surfaces” by Karen Aude. Hirsch’s work is included among studies of 18 professional surface painters. “This is not a how-to book,” warns Hirsch who sees too many do-it-yourselfers fail by rushing and leaving out steps. “Time is money, and when considering faux programs, make sure they’re taught by artists who are working in the field and can share their client experiences.”

“Imagine a client asking for anatomically correct cherubs,” he muses. “Fortunately when that was requested of me I had enough experience to handle it. When it was complete, the client was happy and my dignity was still intact. All the beautiful sample boards in the world can’t prepare you for real experience.”

Illusion and Reality

While Hirsch’s work represents the high-end of faux, there’s still a lot to be said for do-it-yourself decorative finishes such as sponge painting and ragging. These techniques give texture and depth to surfaces and new life to tired furniture. Sandra Kiss-London, the founder of the Faux Like a Pro online resource center, is committed to presenting the art of faux finish in an easy to understand manner.

Her website draws more than 1200 visitors from around the globe daily, as people come to find answers on technique, color and design. Like many of these visitors, Kiss-London’s passion for faux began as a hobby. She and co-founder Mark London love furniture and used to search garage sales for great pieces in need of a little paint.

After creating their first few treasures, they were hooked. Fast-forward 10 years to today, and they’re running a worldwide business.

“Faux finishing is a way for people to give their home a customized look and feel,” says London. “It’s cheaper than wallpaper if you do it yourself and easier to remove when your taste or decor changes. If you choose a decorative finish that uses basic glaze and paint, such as sponging, you can simply paint over it.” [A fact this writer can attest to. In the last six months, my smallish, high-ceilinged bathroom has been papered, painted, sponge painted and painted again. It’s returned to plain white out of my sheer frustration, but Mark did give me an idea that I’m going to try this weekend.

Quick tips to “Faux Like a Pro:”

Decoratively finished terra cotta brings this space to life with color and texture. By Faux Like a Pro

• Watch your color. When you mix the paint with the glaze, the color will be diluted as much as eight times lighter than the original shade.
• Use a 5:1 ratio, five parts glaze to one part paint. This keeps the paint from drying too quickly and helps prevent dark lines.
• To keep ceilings neat, tape them off with good tape to prevent seepage.
• Stop one-inch from the corner. Corners tend to be dark because of shadows, so leave them plain or lightly dry brush for soft texture. The eye won’t see that the pattern doesn’t go right to the edge.
• Even if your colors are rich and bold, the contrast between colors has to be subtle.

“Metallics, pearly whites and taupes are terrific looks right now, as are wide stripes made by masking off part of the wall to create a 1940s Art Deco look. Go for designs that are less bright, and more muted,” advises London. A new technique they predict you’ll see more of in the near future are large architectural stencils, such as a four-by-three-foot cornice made to look like it’s embedded in the wall.

When used correctly, faux finishing can have tremendous benefits. “Once we had clients who requested the view from their honeymoon hotel room painted on a wall in their home. The end result was stunning and deeply meaningful to the couple,” recalls London. In this age of increasingly personal, comfortable and eclectic homes, nothing compares to the versatility of faux finishing. Whether you choose the ultra high-end or do-it-yourself on a Saturday afternoon approach, have fun with it and explore all of your options.