Faux paint finish imitates beauty of ageless stone

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/07/2003 (8422 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

STONE surfaces have a solid beauty that is ageless, and crosses all style boundaries. Whether you are an ardent traditionalist, love the charm and ease of country living, or prefer lean and clean urban contemporary, chances are stone in some form will enter into your design scheme.

There are decorative terra cotta tiles for all home surfaces, a great variety of stones from limestone to river rocks for fireplaces, and marble, granite and slate for floors, counters and tabletops. The unfinished look of cement block walls is popular in loft spaces, and concrete sinks and countertops are appearing as a rustic yet modern alternative in kitchens.

While the cost of real stone can be high, there is a way to get the look at a fraction of the price. You can produce the look of any stone with paint. This has been a practice for centuries. Great artists have toiled for months with secret formulas to decorate walls that replicate fine marble, and to produce exquisite inlaid details for wood furnishings and accessories.

The good news is that with the availability of easy to use glazes and every day paints it is now possible for anyone to paint authentic-looking faux stone.

I received a request from Jeannie M. for a simple way to transform her entrance hall with faux stone blocks. I think there are as many recipes as there are painters, but here is one of my favourites. Measuring and taping off the ‘blocks’ takes some time, but the painting is fun and easy and you’ll feel like a real artist.

It’s important that the blocks of stone are the right scale for the room. A good size is 16 inches by 12 inches for a small space like a vestibule. The base coat will be the colour of the grout or mortar. Apply a gray, white or cream latex base coat and let it dry and cure over night. Using a pencil, ruler and chalk line, measure and mark off the blocks. Stagger them as you would see in a real stone wall. Cover the pencil lines with 1/4", low-tack painter’s tape. Choose three or four stone colours, such as brown, different shades of gray, terra cotta and white. Mix coloured glazes, 2 parts latex paint, 2 parts water-based glazing liquid and 1 part water.

Start by working on a section of two or three blocks, as you want to be able to blend the coloured glazes together before they dry. Roller the first coloured glaze (sand) over 100% of the section. Using a different sea sponge for each colour, sponge the next colour (brown) over 80% of the area and then fill in the spaces with white. Go over the section with a clean damp sponge, blending the glazes. Add the colours randomly so that each block is different. Realistically, one stone would have more gray tones, the next more sand tones, and so on. When all the blocks are completed, remove the tape to reveal the ‘grout’ base coat. You may choose to protect your surface with a coat of flat varnish.

This stone blocking effect also works well as a dado, covering the lower third of a wall. This will ground a room. Choose your favourite contrasting color for above.

Ask Debbie is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please e-mail your questions to askdebbie@painted-house.com. Check out Debbie’s website www.painted-house.com. and watch Debbie Travis’ Painted House on W, and Debbie Travis’ Facelift on HGTV. For more ideas look for Debbie’s newest books, Kids’ Rooms and Bedrooms.