What do you think of when you hear the word “FAUX?” Does it give you thoughts of your friend “fauxing” her living room with a sponge and some pukey yellow paint? Does it remind you of that crusty brown “Tuscan Old World” mess on your neighbor’s wall?
How about if I told you that “faux” in today’s interior design is alive and well if you know where to look.
Since being in this business I have had people say to me “Oh, faux? My sister used to do that. Isn’t it called ragging?” or “I don’t like faux, its so passé.” Then I get to show them my samples and they say “That’s faux?! It looks like _____!” (Insert something like leather, wood, marble, fabric, etc.) Unfortunately many people I’ve met associate the term faux with ragging or sponging which are in fact foundation techniques that are used to create more complex finishes but have become synonymous with dated d-i-y walls. They are unaware of the magic a trained and experienced decorative painter is capable of with a can of paint and a few creative flips of the brush.
At last year’s BSA Decorator’s Showhouse in Baltimore, I had the pleasure of working with Paula Henry of Simply Put Interiors on the “Suite Retreat” master bedroom. (This year's is in the works!) She and I came up with a finish for the walls that replicated the look of wallpaper. One day when Paula was attending her room, a visitor came to her and asked about the “wallpaper.” Paula told her that the walls were faux finished but the visitor insisted that it was paper. Paula told the lady that she was there when they were being painted so they were in fact faux. The lady still didn’t believe her. I laughed out loud when I heard that!
