Decorating Tips: 2-D and 3-D Faux Stone Techniques

Faux stone walls can turn an otherwise plain and boring wall into a work of art. However, in the past faux stone walls have relied strictly on 2D faux painting techniques which limited the results that you could achieve. Today there are both 2D and 3D techniques that you can use to create a faux stone wall.

Option #1 - Traditional Faux Stone Wall Techniques - 2D

The traditional faux stone wall technique is a great place to begin. These technique are going to rely on optical illusions created by the way you layer paint on your wall. These painting illusions will create a sense of depth and texture on your two dimensional wall.

The basic techniques for creating a traditional stone wall are as follows:

1. Paint your wall the color you want your grout to be. Let it dry.

2. Layout your stone shapes using blue painter's tape.

3. Apply a base color for your stones.

4. Layer paint to create texture and depth. You can use sea sponges and cheese cloth to create textures.

5. Shade your stone pieces uniformly using a common artificial source of light. Allow paint to dry.

6. Remove painter's tape.

Option #2 - Add a Third Dimension to Your Faux Stone Wall

Texture is difficult to add to walls using just paint. If you want to add actual texture to your faux stone walls then you will need to introduce a new texture source. Crinkled brown paper that has been dipped into a solution of colored glaze and white glue can be added to your faux stone wall as faux stone tiles. You can cut the tiles into uniform pieces or you can cut them into unique shapes and sizes and then stack them like you would real stone pieces.

Option #3 - Create Faux Marble

Another three dimensional project you can create is to turn concrete block walls into marble walls. This is accomplished by first applying a base coat of water proofing paint to the concrete blocks. This will seal the blocks and prevent moisture from seeping in. Allow this base color to dry thoroughly. Now use a sample of marble to select colors and patterns from. You may need to mix your own glazes to create a base color that matches your marble sample. This base color will be applied to your concrete blocks uniformly.

The next step is to add your marble pattern. This will be accomplished using your highlight colors, a fine tipped artist's brush and stipplers. You can create mineral veins by dipping your paint brush in metallic paint and drawing the veins on the glazed concrete blocks. You don't want to repeat your patterns so be random with your designs. You can get ideas for what a slab of marble looks like by visiting a local marble dealer.