Before there was a dizzying array of faux painting techniques and tools available, there was sponge painting. In the dawn of faux, sponge painting was commonly done by people who wanted to add texture and interest to their walls.
With so many better-looking and easier faux techniques and tools today, you should consider other techniques as well. Achieving a professional-looking sponge painting effect is harder than it looks.
Here's what most of the online sponge-painting directions don't tell you:
It is practically impossible to get all the corners even and filled in to match the walls. Often advised is using a small paintbrush to fill in the corners; however, the texture won't match and it will look weird.
Unless you wear latex gloves, your fingernails will get filled with paint gunk that's difficult to remove.
Sponge painting a small room with many corners and things to go around, like a bathroom, is most difficult, even if you remove absolutely everything possible from the walls.
Achieving a consistent pattern and depth is also difficult.
If you really like the effect, and done right, it can be very nice, here's some tips from an expert. Knowing the potential pitfalls, you can avoid problems and have a much easier, cleaner result.
There are natural sponge rollers available that make the job much easier and more professional looking. They will make your corners more even and it will be easier to get a consistent pattern.
Remove switchplates and anything else you can from the wall.
Paint the wall in your base color. Generally you only need one coat. It does not need to look perfect.
Using 2" blue tape, carefully tape everything, including the ceiling.
Sponge painting looks best if you use at least two colors. If you want a more subtle effect, choose three colors from the same paint-swatch page. Use the middle color for the base coat and the adjacent lighter and darker ones for your sponging. Make sure to use the same sheen of paint for each color.
It is best to use the darker color first. If the overall effect is a bit too light, or you want to fill in some areas, go back and touch up as a final coat.
For a more transparent and delicate look, mix the paint with acrylic glaze.
Don't saturate the roller, use a light touch. Remember, paint darkens as it dries. Having newspaper on hand to roll off excess paint is a good idea. If the effect is too heavy, you can remedy it easily by going over it again when it dries.
Roll in a random or criss-cross pattern instead of up and down.
Practice on newspaper or cardboard before tackling your walls. And as always, have fun.
 | Faux painting techniques can bring the look of leather, stone or fabric to walls and furniture using certain application methods and a variety of faux painting tools. |
 | Faux seems like a dirty word to some people. Whether it's because they have seen horrendous examples of faux finishes or because they think it is too difficult, they just aren't interested in attempting it. They have a "don't try this at home" attitude when they see faux techniques on television or read about them online or in magazines. |
Color washing is a type of faux painting that gives walls texture and depth using several different colors. The look is often compared to stucco and is perfect for either normal walls or walls that have slight damage. |
A crackle finish is perfect for transforming a tired old piece of furniture into a classic shabby chic piece that looks like an heirloom. Even better, a crackle finish is one of the easier faux paint finishes for beginners. |
Ragging is a type of faux painting technique that is used for walls and on wooden furniture. This process creates a texture from a few different colors of paint, and the applicator is a paint-dipped rag. |
