The Wall-Nuts is a group of four women (including myself), with various degrees of expertise in the decorative painting field. We get together periodically to test out different books, videos and/or products. You, dear Reader, get to reap the benefits. Although we will not provide the recipes, we will post our results and also talk about them via podcast. (I’m actually quite proud that with the help of my husband, I was able to wrangle Sound Forge, the software used to edit the podcast.)
To read the bios of each member, please click here. For our initial get-together, we all took on a book by Gary Lord entitled “It’s Faux Easy”. He is one of the most prolific faux finishers and has received numerous accolades. It’s Faux Easy has about 30 projects and the corresponding recipes. But do they work? Are they easy to follow? Here’s our take:
We each wrote our own recap since filming the podcast so that if you cannot access it, you can easily read the results.
Monica Zeuli: University-Trained Muralist
Hoping to Inspire: All fine artists who have an interest in faux finishing
Recipe: Colette’s Classic (Project Eleven)
Book Sample (Left), Monica with her sample (Right)
Monica: Overall, the recipe was easier than it looks. I went by the book with every step and the only thing I can comment on is to make sure your squeegee notches are on the small side so it doesn’t come out too linear. If you want wider lines then go wide with the notch. I used a pre-made squeegee that was wide and I decided to go over the lines a couple of times which made the SofTex leave little knobs which were easy to remove. It really looks like natural bamboo. As a professional artist, I would recommend to my clients painting directly on the wall of a bath or kitchen with a light tan or gold basecoat to get the same effect and bypass the paper. I think that would give me the best durability for my clients. Taping off baseboards and ceilings would be essential. I do love the finish product and I can wait to sell it!
PROS
Super easy, great for either a novice or experienced faux artist.
I liked that you put it on craft paper and apply to the wall. You can have plenty of practice before applying finish product.
CONS
You have to wait at least an hour before applying glaze.
You have to use a lot of the relatively expensive SoftTex.
My squeegee didn’t have the right size knotches like the book had. I had to go over the area a few times to get smaller lines.
I wish I could ask Mr. Lord if his example (using the finished craft paper in a bathroom), would hold up in condensation and would the background show water stain? Would it tear after getting wet? Would a clear coat help?
Debbie Jackson: New Professional Faux Finisher
Hoping to Inspire: Those who are just starting their faux career or looking to start one
Recipe Chosen: Rawhide (Project Twelve)
Book Sample (Left), Debbie with her sample (Right)
Debbie: All things considered, this finish was easy to accomplish and the directions were very easy to follow. It definitely gets a thumbs-up from me.
PROS
Easy directions, anyone could execute this finish and it’s fun to do.
CONS
Paper is a little fragile when wet so you must exercise caution.
Sharon Adelman: The Faux Enthusiast
Hoping to Inspire: All the DIYers out there
Recipe Chosen: Linen Strie (Project Five)
Book Sample (Left), Sharon with her sample (Right)
Sharon: It was quite straighforward once I started painting and getting the hang of it. Initially, I was very nervous wondering if I was making mistakes. Quite fun after a while and this really makes you focus. I actually meditated when I painted. The final result of the Linen Strie was quite nice. I loved it. Very simple, very classy. I like the muted look with the nice contrast on both the horizontal and vertical lines. I guess once I have a more steady hand, I will do this on my walls. I am very happy with this experiment. I am looking forward to more intricate projects.
PROS
The book consists of helpful steps. Very good Pro Tips are found on the start of every recipe. These was very helpful for me since I needed more guidance and Gary Lord laid that out for me.
CONS
The color palette (pg 39) and printed color on Step One (pg 40) was a lot darker and that totally confused me. But in the end, I just played with the colors and went with my gut on which color to use. I will now be braver trying out other colors.
Regina Garay: Ye (Relatively) Olde-Timer
Hoping to Inspire: Like-minded professionals and anyone with an interest in decorative painting as a hobby or business
Recipe Chosen: Parchment (Project Six)
Book Sample (Top), Best pic of Regina’s sample (Bottom)
Regina: I must admit, halfway through the finish I was worried. It didn’t seem right and my results didn’t look like the book’s pictures. However, when the final glaze layer went on, it brought it all together and I liked the finish so much it went right into the portfolio. I’m all for layering and this one is fairly easy to do with great predictable results. (Plus, that final overall glaze recipe? Gorgeous color.)
PROS
Gorgeous layered finish
Colors provided give a nice tone that would work in many home’s designs
Final glaze coloration now one of my faves
The kind of recipe that is versatile enough to handle endless color variations
CONS
Doesn’t really come together until the final layer
Getting an even look with the paint-only softening layer will take a bit of practice for a DIYer
***
There you have it, folks. All four of us were unanimous in recommending this book, which is available at your favorite online or local bookstore. I hope you’ve enjoyed the first Wall-nuts installment. We are looking to get together again sometime next year for our next review. (…and if you have any reviews to suggest, by all means please let us know in the comments section.)
Sorry to post my own first comment (it feels weird) but I did want to update everyone and decided not to put it all the way at the end of the post. Mr. Lord, in addition to saying it was “a hoot listening to the four of you” has also graciously e-mailed the answers to Monica’s questions. (Thank you!!!) Here’s his advice: “The paper can be used in a bathroom and will hold up to condensation. Do not put it in the show stall area. It will not mark with a little water on it because the soft tex, lusterstone and stain and seal will act as a resist and help protect it. Of course try to avoid excess amounts of water on it. A clear coat would help with the moisture issue. Water on it will not make it tear once it has been installed but it is fragile when wet and it is being installed.” There you have it. :)
This is such a great post. I have this book, I love it, but I have to admit I have only made one or two recipes. The paper recipe has always intrigued me, but I have one question which I didn’t get to ask Gary at the SF SALI convention. Why wouldn’t you just apply butcher paper or other to the wall itself and go from there. Do you or Debbie really see it as practical doing all the paper offsite, then installing onsite? Is it me or am I the only one thinking this?
The group is so fun. It’s so much more fun when you have a gathering in the studio with drinks and noshing. I’m thinking of a reason to get on a plane and come crash your next session. :)
Thank you, Lucinda! OK – here’s my take on your question. A client will probably go for a handcrafted “wallpaper” with the thought that they might remove it later on. If the wall is prepped right, the removal of a textured finish on paper will be much easier than if they had to skim it out and start over. That being said, the beauty of the Rawhide finish comes from the paper being crumpled and the glaze settling in those crevices — something that can’t be done with the wall. If you do install the paper post-crumbling & pre-glazing, you’ll go over the seams with the remaining steps and then they’ll have a tougher time removing the paper finish. I hope I haven’t scrambled up explaining my theory of it!
I’d love for you to come over, are you kidding?!? You are always welcome. BTW, the second paper finish (red, bamboo-y, has gold accents – the name escapes me right now) is a knockout. I made it after the Wall-nuts got together. I think you’d like it, too. :)
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