How to paint a faux Stone finish - Fun and creative step-by-step

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Mexican Style

Emerald jungles, palm-fringed beaches, whitewashed villages, gracious haciendas, imposing Mayan ruins. Mexican style draws on a rich array of natural, artisanal and historical materials. Like the country itself, Mexican design is welcoming and colorful, elegant and quirky.

A handsome and natural looking finish, the Simulated Leather faux effect can be particularly successful when used to create rustic interiors. It seems a natural solution for the rural design aesthetic, as it compliments the mixed material use so common to this style; wood, stone, terra-cotta and iron. Though this effect is ideally suited for furniture and objects, it assumes a grander, more mature feel when used on wall surfaces

Velur Interior/Exterior glaze

A compatible interior/exterior glaze, Velatura is a reliable medium for faux finishing. It is a silicone/mineral based glaze, diluted by water, that reacts amazingly with aggregates and textures. Applicable by brush or other faux tools, Velatura glaze creates delicate tones and transitions in a wide variety of saturation and opacity. Experimenting with dilution is the key to successful finishing with Velatura. Velatura is an ideal glazing medium for mineral based plaster and stucco effects.

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Stone Finish

Create the appearance of stone on objects, furniture and more.

Stone Finish Technique

Painted stone effects are a great way to add a rustic accent to both the interior and exterior home. Painted fireplaces, columns, furniture and garden objects are all suitable application surfaces. The juxtaposition of stone, wood, fabric and tile are common place in this regional style, affording simulated stone effects a comfortable place in just about any environment. I’m using Lime Paint to achieve this finish, resulting in a highly durable, interior and exterior finish. In addition, the mineral components in the Lime Paint add to the stone appearance and produce a mold and mildew resistant surface.

Blending Traditional and Contemporary Design

Stucco Veneziano - Venetian Plaster!

Inspired by the ornate plaster-work of Renaissance Italy, decorative plaster has a millennial history, with origins dating back to the Rome of the Caesars and in the art of Ancient Greece.

It was Andrea Palladio, a famous Italian architect, who in the XVI century re-discovered it through his studies and re-proposed it in the splendid Venetian villas that are still to this day the distinguishing mark of his career. Stucco Veneziano is an aesthetic solution that step by step, conquered Venice and Lombardy, then Italy, and finally entire Europe in the XVII century. Today, venetian plaster Stucco Veneziano restores the splendor of a classic and prestigious finish.

Color Palette

Base color – Lime Paint ‘Sandstone dust’

Glaze color – Summer Soil

Step 1:

A cast resin planet container becomes the base for this stone effect. It’s light weight and has an irregular, pitted texture that compliments this technique. I begin by priming the planter using white spray primer.

Step 2:

The lime paint is brushed on directly over the dried primer.

Note about Lime Paint

Lime paint is a mineral based paint, available in over 1,000 colors. It has excellent adhesion to mineral substrates without flaking. In addition, the natural calcium oxide composition of the product makes it resistant to mold, making it an ideal solution for both interior and exterior finishing. Lime Paint serves many purposes; including lime washing, fresco painting, and stone and suede tone finishing.

Step 3:

Although Lime Paint appears dark when first applied, it dries to a considerably lighter state. The mineral properties of the Lime Paint create a matt, chalk or stone like appearance when dry.

Mix a glaze that is a deep umber tone, very earthy and dark in appearance. Combine Raw Umber, Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue in a 6:3:1 ration, with 1/8th cup glazing liquid, in a 2.5 quart plastic bucket. Add water to thin the glaze to a watery blend.

Step 4:

Glazing the stone finish

Brush clean water over the entire surface to allow the following application of glaze to move freely.

Step 5:

Liberally brush the glaze over the entire surface.

Step 6:

Wipe the glaze off with a clean rag, allowing some of the glaze to remain in the recesses. Create a light texture by blotting the surface. Buff up any high points on the details or edges to accentuate the profile of the planter.

Step 7:

A dry brush should be used to soften and smooth out the glaze where necessary. Play attention to recessed areas that may have darker glaze build up.

Step 8:

Add spattering marks by trimming a 1 inch bristle brush, loading it with some Raw Umber and flicking the bristles with a razor blade. This process sends a fine spray, or spatter, across the surface imitation pitted or irregularities that you might find in nature. Repeat the spattering one final time with a light grey tone of White, Raw Umber and Raw Siene.

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Early American Style

Colonial Amercians drew inspriation from their European heritage. Curent design styles would filter across the ocean and become reinventedin early America. Proportion and scale took reign over ornementation, A neutral color palette of grey blue, greens and rose pinks is readily apparent.

Venetian Plaster

Polished Plaster, or Stucco Veneziano, is a Traditional wall treatment that provides a glossy, visually textured wall finish. Venetian Plaster is a natural formula composed of organic ingredients, calcium, and acrylic binders creating a decorative paste plaster for interior applications. Polishing the surface compresses the calcium within the compound, creating a narble-like finish, cool and hard to the touch.

This treatment is quite versitile, ranging from a rustic backdrop to a refined and elegant finish.

The Rustic Color Palette

The Rustic Style color palette falls within a distinct range of color tones and is essential in creating a successful Rustic interior. By using the appropriate color tones you can create a variety of design styles ranging from Period and Historic, regional or thematic. Color helps define our experiences within an interior and exterior environment. It affects us on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level and can be calming and passive, expressive and vital.

Painted Floral Details

Floral patterns used as accents in fabrics and furniture are common place details in the English Country home. These graceful and organic patterns complement the cozy interior of this style and work particularly well with lace window treatments, an heirloom tea service set and the natural and rustic charm of wooden ceiling beams and slightly irregularly textured walls.