Making a Faux Copper Feature Wall

Sue Findlay
by Sue Findlay
7 Materials
$200
2 Days
Medium

My bedroom badly needed a makeover and I wanted a feature wall for my bedroom that "popped" but also imparted a feeling of warmth. I chose a warm copper feel using a Dulux Copper paint finish.

This is what I started with - a horrible, maroon coloured feature wall that isn't my colour at all. (Excuse the ladder, I forgot to start taking photos from the beginning)

After preparing the wall by washing it and filling any dings and holes in the plaster, I put two coats of Dulux "Sea Creature" satin finish over the wall.

Next, I rolled a glaze over it in a lighter green/blue "Spartacus". I then whacked it with the suede side of an old sheep skin car seat I had lying around ready to toss out. I liked this look, and my husband thought I was done, but I was only half way there.

I made a 1:2 glaze of Dulux Copper Effect paint and painted the wall with a narrow roller in random strokes. The light really picked up the copper tones, but it looked raw.

Next, I lightly sprayed the Copper patina from a spray bottle in random sprays and thought I was done. The next day, the patina was working, turning the copper into a chalky blue but it looked horrible: there were runs down the wall every where.

So I got a wet cloth and rubbed off all the patina, which lifted some copper off and softened the effect. It also had the added bonus of leaving the copper with some depth, as it took quite a bit off, leaving random amounts of copper finish behind.

Now what. After several false starts and much wiping off, I made a 1:2 glaze again with the copper, and coated the entire wall evenly. Much better! But the edges looked motheaten and unfinished, and it was difficult to get a hard edge.

So my last step was to paint a teal border around the entire wall to "frame" the copper effect. I used a paint edger to get the straight lines and it took me about 15 minutes. Much better! This is what it looks like in the day time.

This is the wall at night time. The copper has a depth that warms the room. I love my new feature wall! (That diagonal line is a lighting effect from the uncovered light bulb)

This is the opposite wall: we are building cupboards against this wall so it is framed by the cupboards. For this wall, I followed the same process, but left the patina because it didn't run so badly, and didn't put the last coat of copper glaze over it. I like the different looks and can't be happier.

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Sue Findlay
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3 of 8 questions
  • Judy Lynette Mayes Judy Lynette Mayes on Nov 19, 2018

    That was certainly a LOT of work but you stuck with it. I am curious; what do the other two walls look like?

  • Denise Shardlow Denise Shardlow on Nov 21, 2018

    I love this. I think I may have found what I what to do in my master bedroom on our built in cabinet drawers and on the opposite wall where our bed is, and the extended side wall in the Master bedroom entrance. I like the dark border so I'll probably cover the edges with painters tape after the initial two coats of the darker teal dry.

    My questions:

    1) You "rolled a glaze over it in a lighter green/blue"

    Did you dilute the paint and if so what with?

    2) You "made a 1:2 glaze of Dulux Copper Effect paint"

    Was the ratio 1 parts glaze and 2 parts paint or reverse?

    3) Also what kind of glaze did you use since you did not list a glaze in the resources

    4) To repeat what someone else asked earlier: what color(s) did you paint the other walls.

    My plan is to test it out on a smaller surface before I start an entire wall, but I truly love this look.

    I was planing to re-do our Master when things slow down for me in January and had had several ideas, but none spoke to me like this.

    I can't wait to do this!!!

    thank you!


  • Mkl29715154 Mkl29715154 on Jan 19, 2023

    This is beautiful, the best I’ve ever seen on here, sounds awfully complicated though, old sheepskins, where do I find such a thing? Can you just come and do my wall? Haha

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2 of 88 comments
  • Annie Annie on Nov 14, 2021

    Wow! Beautiful and dreamy looking.

    Annie🦋

  • Chabella Chabella on Nov 16, 2022

    I have not been inspired to comment on any other project but this blew me away. My taste is edgy conservative and it’s very difficult to find or imagine what I want. This, however, is stunning! I want to come over and live in your mind for 5 minutes. I’m sure my whole house would be finished and I’ve been struggling with it for 2 years. Thanks so much for sharing the vision and the technique to get it!

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