How to Paint New Walls to Look Old

How use layers of paint and a large sea sponge to make a wall look like it's very old - maybe make a wall or a room to make you feel like you're in Tuscany or Provence!
This is my final result - mottled walls that look old! There's some tips here & visit my blog post for all details at http://indiapiedaterre.com/2014/03/02/paint-new-walls-look-old/
This is the look I was going for - I think I got close to it.
Choose 2-3 colors that are very close to each other, and a "natural" color like a beige or gray. You actually want to introduce a "dirt" or "dusty" look.
First layer of paint - paint the lightest of your 2-3 similar colors. You don't have to do a great job of painting this layer because you will be painting more layers over it.
Old walls are darker in the corners because they're touched and worn down less there. So pay attention to your corners and the edges of the wall (top, bottom) - get some dark color into those corners.
I'm sure there's a variety of techniques to do this, but this is what I do - with a large sea sponge - as large as you can find - paint "rivers" of the natural color paint down the wall.
Hold your so you use all the surface of your fingers/fist - don't use it with the tips of your fingers. You don't want to "poke" the wall with little splotches - you want wide swaths of sea sponged color
After painting rivers down the wall, then I applied more layers of color, overlapping and turning and twisting the sponge so that the sponge didn't make any identifiable repeating patterns on the wall.
Deb @ NomadicDecorator.com
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  • Peggy Peggy on Oct 09, 2019

    Can you mess up this technique?

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  • Mar19377667 Mar19377667 on Mar 15, 2017

    Inspired! You might want to look up Lazure Method to take it a step further with your talent! I have to pay someone to do it, but this method...I can do! Thanks so much!


    Marilyn


    Mt. Shasta, CA

  • Betsy Coss Betsy Coss on Jun 14, 2018

    I am glad you showed exactly what colors you used and told us in what order. thank you. looks good.

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