How to Achieve an Old World Look on Your Walls

Do you have interior walls that you just don't know what to do with? Awful paneling or damaged plaster or drywall? Here's a technique using joint compound and latex paint that will make those walls look better than you ever imagined.

You will need a bucket of joint compound - five pounds should cover a small bathroom, a wide metal paint scraper, a wash cloth, a gallon of latex paint, a small bottle of craft paint and a quart of latex glaze. Read on for color suggestions.

Start with clean, dust-free walls. The first step will be to apply the joint compound. Begin behind the door until you get the hang of applying the material to the wall. Scoop some joint compound onto the edge of the paint scraper and spread it onto the wall in a slantways motion. Do this several times until you have a large square of wall with joint compound on it.

Now go back and use your paint scraper to crosshatch through all the joint compound you've applied to achieve a pleasing stucco-like finish on the wall. Use big arm movements to create a random pattern. It's flexible, so play with the joint compound until you like how it looks. Continue around the room in sections until all the walls are covered. Let the applied joint compound dry overnight or for a couple days.

When the joint compound is thoroughly dry, you are ready to paint. The base coat can be any color, but make it a bolder or darker color than you would normally choose because it will be toned down considerably by the top glaze coat. Paint the room using a thick nap roller to cover the surface of the joint compound. Let the paint cure for a day or two.

For the top glaze coat you won't need much paint. An artist's tube of acrylic color or a couple of two-ounce craft bottles of paint will be enough. You could also use leftover latex paint you have from another project. The easiest color choice is to use an off white or ivory shade to glaze over the base color. It will give you that look of fresco with color underneath. If you want more color, choose a very light shade of the base color. You really can't make a mistake because if you don't like the first layer, you can add another one to tone it up or down.

Pour a puddle of glaze into one corner of your paint tray and a small puddle of craft paint into the other corner. I like to mix with the brush as I go along rather than premix the color ahead of time. This lets you vary the paint as you work and give a natural aged look to the textured finish of the joint compound. Dip your brush into the glaze and then the color and pat it back and forth in the paint tray. Stay heavy on the glaze and light on the paint until you get the feel of working with it.

Apply the glaze mixture in large crosshatch motions, letting it catch in the crevices of the joint compound. Vary the pressure on the brush and just play with the paint. When you have a large square covered, take your wet washcloth and pat the area you just painted. Work with the brush and the cloth until you get a look you like. The glaze gives you plenty of time to rework.

Continue around the room, but if you want to take a break, wait until you get to a corner. You can also go back with a large dry brush and lightly soften the finish over the surface of the joint compound as the glaze begins to dry.

All you need to remember is that the color you put on top will be dominant. If you put a light color glaze over a dark base color, the dark will show through in small patches and crevices and will look whitewashed. If you use a dark glaze over a light or medium color, it will have a darker overall look. Using dark browns and reds in the glaze over a tomato red will look like cordovan leather. The more top glaze coats you apply, the deeper the finish will look. If you don't like your first attempt you can lighten or darken the effect with another top glaze. In the accompanying photos, I used off white over a very intense shade of mustard.

Try this technique on a variety of surfaces. I have successfully applied joint compound to cheap "brick" paneling and damaged plaster. I've also used just the colorwash technique on plain walls to correct a color mistake. Any way you incorporate these methods will give you a designer look that is a pleasure to live with.