How-to paint exotic faux rattan walls

This was my most fun and challenging faux project ever!

Our hallway bathroom, just off the kitchen, is your builder’s standard full bath, so my design objective was to make it look more like a powder room.

IOW, distract from the white tub and commode with tropical faux rattan walls and an unusual monkey-patterned shower curtain complete with cornice and tassel fringe.

I adapted this faux treatment from the grasscloth finish in BH&G’s “Decorative Paint Techniques” (My favorite faux book - see Amazon link on sidebar). I worked with the Sherwin Williams "Blonde" color that was already on my walls (and I didn't like it!) It’s fun to see people touch the walls and insist it’s wallcovering.

Here’s how to recreate this unique finish in YOUR home...

you'll need...

• Base coat paint (Sherwin Williams Blonde, flat)
• Clear faux glaze (Behr)
• Floetrol, to extend glaze drying time (optional)
• Tube of acrylic colorant (Burnt umber)
• Painter's rags
• 10” Plastic squeegee
• Exacto knife or paring knife
• Pencil, ruler
• Carpenter’s square
• Level
• 2" Scotch Blue Painters Tape – Delicate Surfaces*
• Roller Lite roller, medium nap covers (3/8” nap)
• Angled 1 ½” paint brush
• Foamcore board for practice, optional

now paint & glaze!

Tape off the ceiling, doors, windows, base moldings.

Base coat the walls with the roller, cutting in corners and edges with the brush

When dry (24 hours), tape off 27" vertical sections. 27” is similar to wallcovering width and is not too wide for the squeegee step.

Remove the handle and notch the squeege blade with v-shaped notches about 1/8" wide and deep. Space notches 1/2" apart. See photo below

Tint the clear glaze with burnt umber acrylic colorant (both from Home Depot). I add an ounce or two of Floetrol. I experimented with what worked for me and then wrote the formula down. You don't need a lot of tinted glaze. My proportion was about 1/2 tsp colorant to a cup of glaze. I prepared up small amounts at a time. Make a sample board to test your results.

Roll on  a 12-15 inch horizontal band of glaze across the 27" section. Drag the squeegee through the glaze, working across the section. 

Repeat from ceiling to floor until you finish the entire section. Wipe the squeege after each pass

Your first squeege pass across will be easy if you use the ceiling or crown as your guide. After that, you’ll need a fairly steady hand, but you can overlap the squeegee as a guide, as I did (don't drink a pot of coffee before you do this)

If you make a mistake, quickly wipe off the glaze!

Glaze every other section. Remove the painters tape not more than 45 minutes after glazing. Unless you’re an experienced faux-er, toss it. Retape tomorrow with fresh tape.

When the glaze is completely dry (24 hours), retape the alternate sections

Repeat the above glazing steps on the unfinished sections.

a few tips

With a scissors, I cut my squeege into two sections, 6 ½ and 3 1/2 inches wide. The shortie comes in handy for tight spaces and touch ups.

Imperfections are fine, even uneven lines. See the detail photo above. Don't be too critical of yourself. Stand back to assess your work. Remember that faux finishes are not meant to be viewed with a magnifying glass! The overall effect will be organic as in nature, and that’s what you want. My walls have light orange peel finish (bumpy), so they're blotchier than if you have smooth walls, which would be easier to do.

*Very, very important: ALWAYS use Scotch blue painters tape for DELICATE surfaces. Accept no substitutes. Scotch is more expensive, but will never peel your paint off if you remove it within 45 minutes after painting.

Please ask if you have any questions and I appreciate all comments. I’d love to see your before and after photos. Good luck!

If you like my “Bathroom with Faux Rattan Walls,” please rate it here on HGTV's Rate My Space!

Download a printable version of this page here. (Word doc, 85K)

favorite space: stock vanity transformed

"Vanities Revisited"
I just spotted this wonderful restyled vanity on Rate My Space, uploaded by fleurlvr. But wait 'til you see what it looked like before...

I may just have to do some more work on my faux panelling after seeing this. If you're as impressed as I am, click here and rate this space!

Angelo, can you save my bath?

This is NOT one of my favorite spaces. I know it's not the worst ever, but I really don't like my master bathroom. I don't know what happened. Maybe I blacked out or something when I was making the selections with the builder.

I don't drink, so it wasn't a drunken stupor. Whatever. The fact is my master bath doesn't go with the rest of my house.

The only thing I like about it is the Mirror TV (how-to is here) over the tub. I see HGTV from everywhere but the shower. Cool.

So anyway, I'm floating this out there in case Angelo Surmelis of Rate My Space - the TV show - happens to drop in here.

My friend Patty votes the maximum number of times for every Dream Home and assorted HGTV sweepstakes. She says, "Why not? Somebody's gotta win." And she's right. So here goes!

favorite space: recycling french style

Check out this amazing new DIY space on Rate My Space.

It's called "Recycling French Style! & How To Do IT!!!" MariEli'sAmi explains how she transformed a standard vanity into a French masterpiece. Please don't forget to rate it. Easy to do when you're busy leaving nice comments!