Decorative plaster, frescoes, voluminous wallpapers, and other finishes will save on paintings and posters.
Consider non-trivial methods of decorative finishing and interesting novelties in the market of finishing materials.
1. Textured plaster
Banal painting is increasingly being replaced by decorative wall decoration with plaster. Depending on the consistency and method of application, structural plasters create a variety of coatings, from simple rough to original three-dimensional patterns.
Decorative plaster is a heterogeneous mass of minerals with the addition of some kind of binder. It forms a textured relief that looks original and allows you to hide wall defects. A distinctive feature is plasticity, it can be applied with any tool.
Textured called decorative plasters, which, depending on the material and method of application, create a special textured relief on the wall. These rack covers are environmentally friendly and do not require additional finishing. They require the use of professional equipment and knowledge of certain technological subtleties. Therefore, it is better to entrust such work to experienced craftsmen. Such coatings are difficult to remove from the wall or remove; it is better to live the wall with special release paper. When changing the coating, this paper is removed along with the plaster.
The greatest number of visual effects can be obtained layer-by-layer application of several decorative compositions to the surface. Such wall decor requires the work of a professional decorator, which often costs 100% of the cost of materials.
Since this material is very environmentally friendly, wear-resistant, and moisture-resistant, it is used in rooms for various functional purposes, even in the bathroom.
How to apply decorative plaster finish
- The plaster is applied with special brushes, a roller, a spatula, a sprayer, brushes, and a broom, with your own hands.
- Fine-grained plaster is applied with a medium pile roller and various trowels. As a result of the movement of the filler granules when applied with a trowel, grooves or scratches appear. The nature of the pattern is affected by the pressing force, the angle of inclination, and the way the tool moves. Suitable for creating surfaces with a deliberately rough texture in a “rustic” style.
- Coarse-grained plaster is applied with a spatula in a circular motion.
What textures can imitate decorative plaster?
- The texture of wet silk, wrinkled fabric, velvet, moire, tweed, velvet, and woven tapestry.
- The texture of aged surfaces: when mixtures are applied to the wall, uniform scuffs appear.
- Decorative trim with decorative stone.
- Moroccan plaster. The coating creates a cool effect and imitates a roughly polished semi-precious stone.
- Cloudy sky.
- Wood bark.
Today, plaster is perceived not so much as a finishing material, but as a means of creating an individual interior style. Even materials interspersed with gold appeared on the domestic market.
2. Venetian plaster
Venetian plaster is used to decorate walls like natural stone. The classic technology consists of a three-layer application of the thinnest layers of coating on a perfectly prepared surface. The combination of randomly located spots of material creates the illusion of depth in the pattern of polished natural stone. Depending on the added dye, the effect of a cut of marble, onyx, malachite, or lapis lazuli occurs. The optical properties of the stone are transmitted: brilliance, deep glow, and the play of light and shadow, against which the ligature of veins appear. The degree of grinding is important: the finer the dust, the finer the pattern, and the larger the closer to the texture of the hewn stone.
After drying, the wall is covered with natural beeswax. It enhances the gloss of the coating and gives the surface the appearance and massiveness of the stone. Such a decorative finish is the very case when an ordinary master finisher can not cope with the coating. It is better to entrust this work to the artist.
The Venetian imitations look quite nice, but most importantly, they are cheaper. Acrylic counterparts do not provide the illusion of depth and plasticity of the stone, but they surpass the classic “Venetian” in terms of manufacturability – the composition allows you to achieve the effect of finishing like natural marble in one layer.
3. Decorative putty
Separately, among the decorative finishes, there is a group of decorative putties. They mask minor holes and cracks and in their plasticity are able to compete with relief compositions. The final application of colored or transparent wax emphasizes the heterogeneity of the color and enhances the artistic impression.
For example, in the photo – decorative finishing with putty.
Decorative features are complemented by ease of maintenance. The surface is cleaned with dishwashing detergents, washing powders, soap or simply washed with water.
How to apply
Classical surface preparation is suitable for such wall decor. The wall is carefully leveled, dried, worked out with finishing putty, and primed. Before starting work, it is recommended to make a small test sample to see if you like the result or not.
4. Textured wallpaper
Wall decor allows you to use different ways to imitate materials. Some wallpaper coatings repeat the textures of plasters and paints. Traces left by painting tools (strokes from a fluffy brush or spatula), details of the surface relief, and seamless gluing of the canvases (without a visible vertical joint) make the imitation of a decorative plaster finish even more reliable.
Outwardly, coarse-fiber wallpapers are close to relief plasters, having a three-dimensional texture due to the presence of wood chips between the layers of the base and the coating. Their main advantage is the possibility of repeated repainting of the surface.
There are also premium wallpapers that are made with an embossed pattern. In the photo – exactly this, the Lincrusta brand.
5. Thick paints
Colorful compositions, unlike plasters, are most often smooth to the touch. Their value lies in the pattern formed by a thicker consistency than conventional paint. Due to their viscosity, such compositions lie on the wall in a particularly thick layer. They are applied with any tool (trowel, sprayer, textured roller) and in such a way that thick and longitudinal tubercles remain on the plane.
Application methods
- A carelessly painted surface is created by a soft roller, which smears the still-wet paint.
- The mottled effect is obtained by spraying flock materials onto the surface. Iridescent overflows of metallic or fluorescent inclusions are provided. With such a coating, the walls in the interior can even be made of gold or copper.
- Similarity with the texture of granite gives mosaic (“granite” or polychrome) paint. In fact, it does not contain any granite dust, only acrylic bubbles from water-based paints of various colors are included. When sprayed with a special gun, the droplets are broken against the wall and a multi-colored dot pattern is formed on the surface.
- Pearly effect. Because of the ability to change color depending on the angle of view and lighting, this paint is also called a chameleon. Forms a translucent film, since it contains natural mother-of-pearl. It gives an effect akin to Venetian plaster, but it will cost several times cheaper.
- Imitation of fabrics: jeans, velvet, velour.
- Imitation of parchment, shagreen leather.
- Shiny metallic effect.
- Craquelure effect – cracks of different widths and depths that occur over time on a painted surface).
Craquelure is formed after the application of the substrate, intermediate composition, and top coat. Appear 30 minutes after applying the finish. As it dries, a web of cracks shows on the surface, through which the substrate is visible.
Coatings with a luminescent effect store energy from any source, electrical or natural. Glow even in complete darkness, creating impressive lighting effects. A more restrained, delicate option is reflective coatings that change the look of the room depending on the lighting.
You can also achieve the effect of patina – a film of greenish or brown color, resulting from the oxidation of copper and copper alloys. The shades characteristic of patina can really be reproduced on different surfaces, giving them a beautiful antique look.
The effect of “frost” gives a decorative coating with mineral chips. The shavings in the composition do not mix with the color base and stand out on the wall with elegant white blotches. 15-30 minutes after the surface has set, the coating is smoothed with a soft spatula. This is necessary in order to crush the chips and reveal a white coating.
Before settling on any option, you need to make trial colors. Most texture paints have only one drawback: they are extremely difficult to remove for possible repainting of the surface.
6. Author’s decoration
Author’s, non-standard solutions created by professional decorators and artists are much more expensive than finishing with conventional materials. Prices depend on the skill level of the invited specialists and the non-triviality of the proposed idea.
Finish options
- Mottled surface. The drawing is applied with a natural sponge.
- Wrinkled silk effect. The coating is applied with a plastic bag or a soft trowel.
- The effect of folds on silk.
- Rolling with a figured roller.
- The effect of “whirlpools” is when the paint is applied with a wide hard brush with light strokes in different directions.
- Iridescent silk effect.
Performance techniques
Mural painting – fresco (writing on a damp lime base) or painting in tempera, acrylic on any surface. In terms of cost, ornamental compositions of large volumes and a simple pattern can be comparable to expensive paintings. If the artists promise to do everything quickly and cheaply, you should think about quality. Stencil paintings, work on tracing paper, and collages are also possible – as a result, a nice panel appears on the wall using fabric and painting elements.
Industrial frescoes made with traditional techniques are gaining more and more popularity. They are supplied either in rolls or stretched over a frame.
Sgraffito is a technique that consists in successively applying thin colored layers of mortar onto a wall plane. Fresh upper layers are scratched according to the sketch until the lower ones, which are different in color and tone, are revealed. In those places where you need to open the lower layer, the upper one is completely removed. The classic sgraffito technique can be supplemented with embossed sgraffito, which allows you to create a low relief or combine it with a colored decorative background. Layers may not be layered on top of each other but performed using the inlay method – each level is complicated by ceramic, mosaic, and pictorial inserts. Sgraffito is the most accessible type of monumental work.
Artistic mosaic is the most time-consuming and costly for customer type of monumental decoration of the architectural surface of the wall. The main set materials used today are marble, smalt, natural stone, and ceramic tiles. Please note that professional smalt has a much wider palette than finishing materials, and each material has its own specifics.
The technique of working with the wall is chosen depending on the nature of the interior, its design, the overall color scheme and the style of the furniture. The professionalism of the master lies precisely in harmoniously fitting into the situation. Artists can appear at the zero stage of the project or perform work that will be the final accent in the interior.
Coating methods for smooth or semi-smooth textures
- With a swab – leaving no traces, lightly press the swab soaked in paint of a creamy consistency to the surface and rotate it in different directions.
- With a brush on a previously painted, but not completely dried surface, apply strokes in different directions.
- Sprayer – Hold the sprayer hopper perpendicular to the surface and spray at least 30cm away from the surface. Avoid stains and streaks.
- Graining. When wet graining, the glaze is applied not with a brush, but with a cloth. To create a random rather than a regular pattern, change the angle of rotation of the hand after each print. When dry, the glaze is applied with a brush. Then prints of fabric are left on its surface.
- The third method is knurling, which consists in rolling the folded fabric over the surface of the glaze in one direction.
Before starting work, be sure to carefully read the technical description of the selected product. There you will find answers to important questions: how, with what, on what basis and after what preparation the paint is applied. Depending on the tool you use and the desired wall decor, the paint consumption will naturally change.
7. Self painting
In addition to the professional approach, there are at least two more options for decorating walls at home.
Everyone has artistic ability. On the prepared surface, any pattern is glued with masking tape. Matte acrylic paint is applied with an airbrush. The adhesive tape is removed – and the masterpiece is ready! The paint can be applied to any type of substrate, including polystyrene. As a final touch, a volumetric fluorescent paste is applied in places. It is recommended to cover the work with a layer of colorless protective varnish for walls.
The sequence of work with a stencil
- Copy the pattern from the picture onto a sheet of paper, clearly outlining the outline.
- Transfer the drawing to a transparent film and circle the outline (such a stencil is more durable than a cardboard one, and it is easier to wash off the remnants of the coloring composition from it).
- With a blade, scalpel, or sharp knife, cut out the design, following the outline exactly.
- Next, apply the main background paint to the surface.
- After it dries, apply stencils to the appropriate areas and stamp with oil or acrylic paint.
You need to apply the composition with a brush or foam rubber swab, after making sure that the brush or swab took the exact amount of paint. This will prevent prints from creeping out of the edges of the holes cut in the stencil.
The decor of the walls of the nursery can be done using a template. Choose some story drawn by the child (of a favorite character) and depict it on the wall in an enlarged form.
The most important thing about our X that it is for
those who are in a hurry
