Our client recently moved into a new home. Although the living room had a messy paint job, three beams and tall ceilings make the space unique. She wanted to highlight these features by wrapping the beams in wood and staining them in a dark color to create focal points that draw the eyes up and make the space feel bigger. 

We knew using real wood to wrap the beams would be expensive, so we offered faux painting as a cheaper solution to achieve a similar design. To give our client an idea of the finished look, we created sample boards using our faux painting technique and a few different color combinations. She chose the darkest combination to develop a deeper contrast with the walls and accentuate the beams. 

Foyer Features

This project also included some work in the foyer, where textured wallpaper covered the walls. The previous owners painted it a dark color that felt dreary due to the foyer’s low light. Our client asked us to remove the wallpaper and paint the walls light tan to brighten the space. 

Accent Wall

Once we finished painting the walls, she decided to create an accent wall. We divided it into sections using a piece of molding. On the bottom, we installed a paintable wallpaper with a flower pattern, then painted it white. While we haven’t worked with textured wallpaper before, we were thrilled with the elegant result!

Recessed Shelving Unit

Our client’s mom found a shoe shelf on Pinterest and added it to the project as a gift for her. We cut a 4’ x 16’’ hole in the drywall to make room for the shelf, then at the top and bottom, we installed a 2x4 to support the unit. 

We built the shelf out of a few sheets of ¾ in plywood, deciding to paint each piece individually, saving us the headache of sticking a brush between the 8’’ shelves. After painting, we nailed the unit together, lifted it into the hole, used shims to level it, then fastened it to the studs. Finally, we installed moldings to cover the gaps and painted them with the trim color. 

Prepwork and Painting

Ceiling Repair

The ceilings and beams had a rosebud pattern (the popular design trend from the ‘80s). A roof leak damaged a section of ceiling drywall, and whoever repaired it did not reapply the texture. We created a uniform surface by using a special brush to reapply a rosebud texture. 

Wall Repair

We were surprised when we noticed how damaged the walls were, and we spent a lot of time repairing them. In some spots where the wall met the ceiling, we needed to remove the caulking and recaulk the seam. Although we spent more time than expected patching the walls, it was well worth it to create an outstanding paint job!

Faux Painting Process

We started prepping the beams by sanding them with 80 grit sandpaper, quickly removing the rosebud pattern. After a few coats of mud and a coat of primer, they were ready for faux painting.

We achieve the faux wood look in two steps. First, we painted a deep orange base layer using a brush and roller. Once the paint dried, we mixed a dark brown glaze using a 1:1 ratio. We applied the glaze with a brush and roller to get an even coat and then used our wood graining tools to create the pattern.  

Trim, Wall, and Ceiling Painting

Because the beams needed three coats (paint and primer), we painted the faux wood pattern before tackling the rest of the project. While the last coat dried, we started painting the trim. Then, we worked our way bottom-top, taping the already painted surfaces as we went. Once the trim, walls, and ceilings were painted, we removed the tape and touched up any places where the paint bled through the tape. 

Finial Thoughts

Any painter worth their salt knows that prep work is more important than actually putting paint on the walls. The surfaces in this house had so many issues that this project was about 80% prep work. The images can’t show how messy the paint job was, but this project took us almost a month to complete, and it was truly a fantastic transformation!

The creative choices highlight the features of this home — we love how the shape of the living room has a depth to it, created by beams and tall ceilings, and how the bold colors emphasize this depth by creating a contrast that draws your eyes to the beams.

For the wall color, our client chose Sherwin Williams’ color of the year, Evergreen Fog. The greyish-green gives the room a calming aura, and with all of her furniture and decorations moved back in, the living room is a peaceful place to relax after a long day.