Feather Your Nest With Frottage

Article from Gliddenpaint.com

A little bit of creativity can make a big impression. Whatever the look and feel you want…paint can achieve it! Adding texture to your walls is not a difficult thing to do and the effect is stunning. A beautiful painted finish that is remarkably simple to achieve is "frottage." The name comes from the French verb "frotter" which means, to rub, and that is just about all there is to it! The technique is similar to bagging, only the result is more elegant and sophisticated. Similar to a suede finish, the technique is perfect for a dining room or formal entryway. It is best to apply a topcoat of a darker shade (three times deeper) over a lighter basecoat. Get creative and feather your comfortable nest with an elegantly-textured wall! It is sophisticated. It is affordable and it is as simple as 1-2-3-4!

1. Using a gloss or semi gloss finish, apply two coats of your base color (paler shade) and allow to dry.
2. Working in small manageable sections (smaller than the paper) with a brush and filling in with a roller, apply your top color.
3. Immediately lay a sheet of brown craft paper, plastic wrap or tissue paper over the entire wet surface.
4. Smooth it out with your hands and carefully peel away the paper.
5. Overlapping the edges, repeat the process and don't stop until you have completed the entire wall.

Personal Note:

This faux painting technique is also called "smooshing" and is one that I have tried in my living room. For this faux painting technique, I used a semi-gloss base and a semi-gloss top coat that I mixed with a glaze for a more translucent color. The glaze also allowed for slightly more play time and went on much smoother. Also, if you use a roller, you will be able to cover the surface much more quickly than using a brush. I used the brush only for corners and edges or for touch-ups.

As with most faux painting projects, I found that it is much easier to work with a partner. Also, it is very important to overlap the plastic or you will have defined areas that look more like a messy wallpaper job. I recommend using a large plastic drop-cloth to cover larger areas and reduce the risk of lines. If you don't have a large drop-cloth, try using a black trashbag slit open to cover more area.

This is a great faux painting technique that is easy to do and creates wonderful texture and interest to your walls.