Pasadena Showcase gallery hallway with painted over door detail. Photo c.2003 G. Morton, About.com

Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varies

Here's How:

1. Use the links at the end of this page to get to helpful faux finishing instructions.
2. Consider your options as to style, technique, and colorways before reaching for a paintbrush.
3. Visit a local home center or paint store to get ideas, paint chips, and how-to booklets.
4. Set up a large sample board (wood, sheetrock, foamcore, or heavy posterboard). The larger, the better. Use it to test and practice.
5. Paint your sample board in your chosen base color. Begin testing faux techniques, paints, and styles.
6. When you find a good combination of color and style, practice doing an entire board in that finish.
7. Practicing will give you a feel for how much paint to use, how much to dilute it, how fast it dries, how to "fix" mistakes, how to join a wet with a dry section, etc.
8. The more you practice the better you'll get and the more successful your project will be.
9. Set the board in the room for at least 2 days. Look at it in all types of light in the daytime and at night. Make sure you really want that look everywhere in the room, or consider one wall or above a chair rail.
10. Make adjustments to your plan if necessary -- such as using a lighter color paint, a lighter touch, more glaze, etc.
11. When you're certain you have the look that is right, then proceed to your project.
12. Aim to finish one full wall per painting session. If you work with a partner then trade areas every few minutes so individual styles aren't as noticeable.
13. Make notes about your project, including paint colors, mixing proportions, tips and techniques. These may be useful for your next project, or in case you need to repair an area.

Tips:

1. The biggest mistake made in a faux project is not taking the time to practice and perfect the technique. Avoiding taking time to practice may result in a room where the first wall looks completely different from the last wall -- not a good thing.
2. Aim for subtle color changes or tone-on-tone looks for the most pleasing results. For example, use baby yellow with butter yellow rather than hunter green over yellow.
3. Use blue painter's tape to mask off moldings, ceilings, windows, etc.
4. If you begin a project and find it isn't working -- then it's time to STOP and evaluate what you're doing. Don't do an entire room -- hoping that it will look better "later".
5. Consider the longevity factor. Will your daughter still want bright lavendar sponged on neon yellow in 2 years?

More How To's from your Guide To Interior Decorating