Leather has a way of making things seem better, richer and softer. When you go shopping for shoes, you check to see if the shoes are made with genuine leather or faux leather. When you go furniture shopping, you make sure to check out the leather sofa even though it may not be the best choice for your home. When you're looking to buy someone a special gift, you get them a leather coat, wallet or purse. Leather is deeply ingrained, no pun intended, in our minds to being synonymous with quality and wealth.
In our thoughts, leather evokes images of value, warmth and luxury. How do you feel as you wrap yourself in a new leather coat or as you slide into a comfortable leather chair? Now, with an easy to follow application process, you can have the warm soft feeling of leather on your walls, and experience that same sensation every time you walk your home or office.
The beauty of a faux leather finish isn't only in the final look of the application, but it's also the fact that you can erase or mask many imperfections you have on your walls, like small dings, dents and scratches. The faux leather look will automatically draw the focus of your eyes away from any blemishes, and allow you to see only soft, warm leather.
Here are the items you will need for creating your own faux leather finish in your room.
• Paint Tray and Rollers
• Painter's Tape
• Paint Brushes
• Foam Brushes
• Bucket of Clean Water
• Clean Rags
• Chamois Cloth
• Rubber Band
• Glazing Medium
• Cream Latex Paint
• Tan Latex Paint
• Scissors
Before you star to paint, remove all the artwork from the walls including the nails and fasteners. Now move the furniture far enough away from the walls for easy access. Now you can give the walls a quick wipe down with a wet towel to remove any dust. Remove all of the plates from your electrical outlets and switches. Finishing these steps first will help speed up the rest of this faux finishing leather process.
1: Place painter's tape along the borders to the ceiling, windows and doors or anywhere else you don't want the paint to get on.
2: Cover the walls with a coat of the cream latex paint using the roller. Use the brush to cut-in near the painter's tape and around outlets and switches. This may require two coats for best coverage.
3: As the base coat is drying, take your chamois cloth and cut it into strips of 2-4” wide strips. Gather all of the strips and fold them in half so all of the ends are even with each other. Take your rubber band and wrap it around the mid-section of the cloth strips. You'll know you did it correctly if you have the folded end on one side of the band and all the cut ends on the other side, like a mop head.
4: Next, in a clean paint tray mix the tan latex paint and glazing medium until you have the desired color for your walls.
5: Use the foam brush and dab the paint along the borders to cut-in with the tan colored paint. Don't brush the paint on, use a dabbing motion.
6: Use the roller to paint a portion of the wall you will be concentrating on.
Tip---The glaze will dry quickly, so it's best to work on a small portion of the wall at a time. Don't try to do an entire wall at a time or you may find it very difficult to get the right look.
7: With the wall still wet, take your chamois bundle and dip it into the bucket of water and squeeze it so it's just damp and not soaking wet. Then begin patting the strip end of the chamois cloth on the wall so it removes some of the glaze.
8: As the glaze is drying, take a clean cloth and dampen it with water. Pat it against the wall to help soften the appearance of the leather.
Taking your time and painting a smaller section of the wall at a time is the key to successful faux leather walls. Faux finishing is an easy and fun way to change the look of your space. It allows your room to stand out in comparison to most solid colored rooms. A faux leather finish will also increase the personality and individuality of your room. You'll find that by simply spending a few dollars and some time, you can give your favorite space a million dollar makeover with the warm look of leather. And that answers the question "what is faux leather".