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How to Faux Terra Cotta Paint

Faux Painting, Terra Cotta

Terra cotta color is not always just an orange color. Terra cotta color can be a part of this palette, http://www.colorhunter.com/tag/terracotta/1 including blues, greens, beiges, and browns. Faux terra cotta finish is easy to do in 10 steps.

1. Get some hardboard at home supply store to practice faux terra cotta paint finish technique before moving to your walls. You can test the lighting and faux paint finish by holding your sample to your wall at different times of the day. Know that any mistake can be undone just by painting over it.

2. Prepare your walls for faux terra cotta painting. If present wall paint is in good shape, then use it as a base coat. Or if you need to repaint, then do that first with selected color base coat. Decide what color will be prominent color and stay in the same color line. For example, if you want a beige final color, then consider a darker beige as your base coat and then sponge on a lighter beige or you can reverse it. Decide if you want two glaze coats in two different colors.

3. Patch any holes or cracks with a spackling compound to prepare for faux terra cotta finish.

4. Measure your room by width and height and keep in mind the number of windows and doors. Paint calculator helps in calculation – http://www.behr.com

5. Gather materials you need to complete faux terra cotta finish project. Needed supplies: Sponges, rags, foam roller, good 4-inch quality natural bristle paint brush and a smaller brush for corners or around windows and doors, sandpaper, painter’s tape (blue), paint, glaze, and rubber gloves.

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6. Tape baseboards, door facings, window casings, ceilings, and take off electrical covers.

7. Roll on your base coat and let dry overnight. Cover walls completely.

8. Next is mixing the glaze. Mix enough paint for the entire project for color consistency. Mix one part satin paint to five parts glaze. Follow manufacturer instructions. Dip sponge in glaze mixture and press on wall in a rolling fashion and in a in random, overlapping strokes in about three feet by three feet area and keep a wet edge so you don’t have a visible line in the faux painting. Keep repeating this procedure until entire wall is covered, 3 ft. by 3 ft. sections. You can do another coat. Let walls dry completely before applying another coat.

9. For the next coat, mix one part satin paint to 10 parts glaze to have a more transparent look for a three-dimensional effect. For a more opaque look, use less parts of glaze. Dip sponge in mixture and start in random, overlapping strokes in about three feet by three feet area and keep a wet edge so you don’t have a visible line in the faux painting. Keep repeating this procedure until entire wall is covered, 3 ft. by 3 ft. sections. Let walls dry completely.

10. To look professional, corners and edges are consistently covered as the rest of faux painting areas.

Room will have a soft look if all walls are done with the faux terra cotta finish. It works great for bedrooms or baths. Or do one wall with a bright terra cotta color to accentuate a wall in a dining area. Possibilities are endless.

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Reference:
Personal experience in remodeling house in NC.

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