How to Create a Faux Brick Wall

Exposed brick walls add great interest and drama to a room-but if your home is lacking the brick you crave-I'll show you how to get the look without the brick.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2-inch tape
• Joint compound
• Trowel
• Sponge
• Stipple brush
• Tinted glaze (red, brown, gray)

Instructions

1. Prepare the walls for painting and let primer dry.

2. Tape off 4-inch by 8-inch staggered squares.

3. Apply joint compound with a trowel until all areas are covered. Before joint compound dries, use a sponge and stipple brush to create different brick-like textures throughout. Don't make your marks too uniform or regularly patterned or you'll lose the bricklike look.

4. Once the joint compound dries, use a mix of red and brown glaze to create the brick color. You don't want the color to be uniform throughout; mix it up so that your "bricks" are all in the same color family, but there's still some variation.

5. Remove tape and use the gray glaze to paint the "grout" lines in between the "bricks."

Tips & Warnings

• For a more distressed look, apply joint compound on some areas to look like the remains of an old wall; then paint it the color of your choice.