Before my last trip to San Diego, I wanted to get the paint done in my office. Unfortunately I was rushed, didn’t read the faux painting instructions and it wasn’t turning out the way I wanted it. So I abandoned the project, until today. Here is the base coat + partial paint that didn’t turn out:

I’m doing a faux finish that requires a lighter tinted paint (the seafoam looking paint) as a base coat, with a paint/glaze mix for the finishing coat (the darker teal color).
On my 1st try, I was rolling the darker teal paint on and then trying to manipulate the paint with cheesecloth, for a weathered look. Unfortunately I was getting roller lines and I ran out of cheese cloth about 1/10th of the way through…
So, I resumed the project today with a new game plan. I mixed the glaze and paint (4 parts glaze to 1 part paint) and cut up a terrycloth towel and used that as my paint brush.

I scrunched the towel into a ball, dipped it into the glaze/paint mix and “washed” the walls in a circular motion. It really was just like washing/scrubbing a car, and I like how it turned out (for the most part).
Here is the finished faux finish:

Now I need to paint the white walls (they’ve been primed already), and I’m thinking of adding a pearlescent additive to the white paint to give it an interesting shine. I’m also going to paint the window panes white.
After the white paint, I need to pick out baseboards, outlet covers and hang all of the dohickies that go on the wall (which I need to get right the 1st time, since I’ll be drilling into concrete to hang anything in my office).
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I think it came out well from what I can tell from a blog photo. The color reminds me of the color of the ocean at my favorite beach- Lanikai. What are you going to do with the ceiling? Have you been to the Bali Imports place in San Clemente? And I am sure you are familar with www.westelm.com. They use these colors with dark woods well.
Way to go, good job… Now your almost ready for Venetian plaster.
Thanks, Alicia! I like the way it turned out, on my second attempt. I have a book on faux finish and there is no way I’m ready for venetian plaster yet. Ha! I love West Elm, I just wish they shipped down here.
We are going to drywall the ceiling, eventually, but it’s going to be a few thousand dollars to do the downstairs ceilings, so that has taken a back burner. I would love to eventually put ebony floors in my office as well. Eventually, being the key word here ;)…