How to Paint a Faux Stone Wall

Example of a faux stone painted wall

Expensive-looking walls do not have to cost a fortune. Instead of just slapping on another coat of white paint, why not apply a faux paint finish and turn a drab-looking room into an elegantly textured space? For this project, we will be applying a faux limestone block look to the walls.

Things You'll Need

• Paint bucket Paintbrushes Paint roller Chalk line Pencil ¼-inch masking tape Gloves Mixing containers Stir sticks Paint tray with liners Sea sponges Bucket of water 3-inch chip brush Artist palette or paper plates Spatter stick Paper towels or rags Latex or flat eggshell paint Three shades beige glaze Umber or dark brown artist acrylic paint

Instructions

Apply Base Coat and Masking Tape

1. The first step is to apply the eggshell base coat. You need to allow it dry overnight. The next morning, plan your block size and layout. Generally, concrete blocks are 12 by 15 inches with ¼-inch grout lines and are installed in a staggered layout. Mark the horizontal lines by snapping chalk lines. Then mark the vertical lines with a pencil. Apply narrow tape to the grid by placing the tape either above or below and to the right or left of the marked lines.

2. Mix the darkest shade of beige glaze and pour some of it into a paint tray. Dip the sea sponge into a bucket of water, wring it out and then dip it into the glaze. Sponge paint the wall surface by creating darker and lighter areas, leaving some completely open. Let the glaze dry.

3. Repeat the process with a medium glaze, filling in some of the open areas. Stand back from the wall periodically to assess your work and to see where more glaze may be needed. Keep your sponges in water between color glazes to keep them from drying out and becoming hard. Finally, repeat with the lightest beige glaze, filling in all the open areas so that there is a definition between the lighter and darker shades of color. If you decide that one area is lighter or darker than you would like, simply add another color of glaze over it until you achieve your desired look. Let the glaze dry.

4. Using the 3-inch chip brush, apply the medium glaze on the wall, dragging the brush laterally across various areas to create wavy veins. Pat them with a clean sponge to soften the lines. Be sure that each vein starts and stops within its own block. Place some of the umber or dark brown paint onto an artist palette or paper plate. Dip the chip brush in water, then in the paint; then mix, creating a watercolor consistency. Apply more veins to the wall in the same wavy pattern as before, and pat with a sponge to soften the lines. Mix some of the raw umber or dark brown paint with some of the medium glaze and put it on the chip brush. Use a spatter stick to spatter the mix across the stone blocks. You can spatter the paint all over or on some of the blocks. Spattering several of the colors will create a more stonelike look as long as you do not overdo it. Let dry for several hours.

5. Remove the tape and erase any exposed pencil marks. If you wish, you can create dimension to the blocks by adding shadow lines to the bottom and right sides of the blocks, using a touch-up brush and a raw umber or dark brown paint mixed with water. Use a ruler or other straightedge to keep your lines straight.

Tips & Warnings

• To make each stone block distinct from the one next to it, do not let the same color glaze overlap across the tape lines. If you happen to go across the line, simply blot the paint off with the opposite side of the sponge.