Bring on the Bling... With Specialty Paint Finishes
From liquid gold to instant rust and concrete effect, the latest paint effects add easy character to your home
Special-effect paints are like a golden ticket to creativity, offering almost endless options for creating your own bespoke looks in and around the home. “We see specialty finishes as design elements, not just surface coatings,” says Melanie Stevenson, marketing manager at Porter’s Paints. “Texture and finish type are just as important as colour.” The beauty of special-effect paints, she says, is their versatility: you can use them to transform everything from interior walls and tired pieces of furniture to garden ornaments.
Go for gold (or silver or bronze)
From glossy gold through to rusted steel, metallics are big news in interiors at the moment, and special-effect paints are a great way to introduce the look to your home. Use metallic paints to create breathtaking feature walls or even ceilings. If you prefer a more subtle touch of glamour, use the paint finishes to transform op-shop furniture finds, picture and mirror frames, old vases, pots… anything you like.
“Gold is perfect for adding a touch of glamour,” says Nicole Rosenberg, owner of Little Liberty, which specialises in interior design for children’s rooms. “The key is to use small doses and balance it out with soft colours and simple furnishings.”
From glossy gold through to rusted steel, metallics are big news in interiors at the moment, and special-effect paints are a great way to introduce the look to your home. Use metallic paints to create breathtaking feature walls or even ceilings. If you prefer a more subtle touch of glamour, use the paint finishes to transform op-shop furniture finds, picture and mirror frames, old vases, pots… anything you like.
“Gold is perfect for adding a touch of glamour,” says Nicole Rosenberg, owner of Little Liberty, which specialises in interior design for children’s rooms. “The key is to use small doses and balance it out with soft colours and simple furnishings.”
You can create metal-effect walls using a liquid paint formulation such as Porter’s Paints Alchemy Liquid Gold Paint (available in ‘Antique’, ‘Bronze’ and ‘Rose Gold’), or Dulux Design Metallic Effect Paint (which can be tinted in a range of shades). Both products are easy to apply with either a brush or a roller. Remember that metallic paint will always show up brushmarks, and the result will have a textured finish.
Styling by Little Liberty for Dulux Design Effects Collection. Photography by Amelia Stanwix
Rosenberg recently transformed a little girl’s room into a more grown-up space by creating an eye-catching wall mural with Dulux Design Gold Effect in ‘Gold Vintage’ and four co-ordinating colours. She finished off the look by painting a decorative pot for the bedside table with the same gold paint, and tied it all together with metallic-look cushions.
See more stunning kids’ rooms
Rosenberg recently transformed a little girl’s room into a more grown-up space by creating an eye-catching wall mural with Dulux Design Gold Effect in ‘Gold Vintage’ and four co-ordinating colours. She finished off the look by painting a decorative pot for the bedside table with the same gold paint, and tied it all together with metallic-look cushions.
See more stunning kids’ rooms
How to apply: Most metallic paints are applied to walls as follows (but always refer to the product’s instructions):
- Apply the first coat – cut edges in with a bush, then use a roller for larger sections.
- Wait until the first coat is dry.
- The second coat is when the magic happens: working in sections, apply paint with a roller, and while it’s still wet, create texture by dragging a dry roller, a clean scrunched-up rag, a dry wide brush, or a sea sponge across the paint in random, overlapping patterns.
- A brush or roller will create a brushed-metal effect, while a rag or sponge will give a softer, mottled appearance.
Metallic paints are also fantastic for creating one-off furniture pieces. Using a metallic spray paint will give a smoother, more even coverage than a brush, plus it’s easy to reach into nooks and crannies. A great product to try is Rust-Oleum Universal Metallic Spray Paint, which is available in the full gamut of metallic shades and can be used on both indoor and outdoor pieces.
How to Create Impact With Colour Accents
How to Create Impact With Colour Accents
This spray paint is suitable for use on metal, timber, glass, wicker and concrete, so you can use it to transform just about any item – garden pots, a cane bedhead or even the kitchen rangehood.
How to apply: To ensure the paint covers evenly and adheres properly, some prep is required:
How to apply: To ensure the paint covers evenly and adheres properly, some prep is required:
- Wash your object with a solution of sugar soap and water, rinse and allow to dry.
- Sand off loose or flaking paint from the piece you’re planning to paint. Lightly sand glossy surfaces. Wipe away dust.
Think zinc
Zinc is a soft, pale-grey metal that darkens as it ages. Its raw, matt look makes it a perfect addition to industrial or rustic-styled interiors, or to add an urban edge to outdoor landscaping.
You can create the look of zinc using Porter’s Paints’ Liquid Zinc. Because zinc is a malleable, easily bruised metal, this zinc-look paint is ideal for making over furniture that already bears the scars of age.
Zinc is a soft, pale-grey metal that darkens as it ages. Its raw, matt look makes it a perfect addition to industrial or rustic-styled interiors, or to add an urban edge to outdoor landscaping.
You can create the look of zinc using Porter’s Paints’ Liquid Zinc. Because zinc is a malleable, easily bruised metal, this zinc-look paint is ideal for making over furniture that already bears the scars of age.
How to apply: Applying Liquid Zinc is a two-step process (paint and ageing solution) suitable for interior and exterior use. It can be applied to prepped plasterboard, wood, metal, masonry and previously painted surfaces. This one’s a bit different to most paints in that you need to mix powdered zinc into the paint before getting to work.
Experts at Porter’s Paints recommend the following method:
Experts at Porter’s Paints recommend the following method:
- Apply two coats of the zinc paint mixture in a criss-crossing pattern, leaving 12 hours between coats.
- Allow to dry for 24 hours.
- Brush a thin layer of ageing solution all over the painted surface – this chemically reacts with the zinc, which oxidises into a beautiful antiqued patina.
Rusted on
A rusted finish delivers a natural, earthy aesthetic. Stevenson says faux-rust finishes are a great way to add drama to interior and exterior walls, architectural features and garden elements such as walls, pots and artworks.
Results will vary according to the substrate being painted, the ambient temperature and humidity levels, and how you apply the paint. As a result, no two pieces are alike.
5 Fabulous Fail-Safe Exterior Colour Palettes
A rusted finish delivers a natural, earthy aesthetic. Stevenson says faux-rust finishes are a great way to add drama to interior and exterior walls, architectural features and garden elements such as walls, pots and artworks.
Results will vary according to the substrate being painted, the ambient temperature and humidity levels, and how you apply the paint. As a result, no two pieces are alike.
5 Fabulous Fail-Safe Exterior Colour Palettes
There are several rust paint products on the market, all comprising a two-step process: first applying a paint that contains iron filings, then adding an acid rusting solution, which causes the iron filings to rust. Products to look out for include Porter’s Paints Liquid Iron and Instant Rust, Dulux Design Rust Effect and Rust Effect Solution, and Murobond Rust Paint.
How to apply: Methods will vary slightly according to the product you choose but here are the essentials:
How to apply: Methods will vary slightly according to the product you choose but here are the essentials:
- Wash and sand (if required) your substrate, then apply a suitable primer to help the rust paint adhere. (You will need to check the manufacturer’s directions regarding what type of primer to use.)
- Apply two coats of iron paint, using a large brush in a criss-cross motion to encourage texture.
- Once the paint has dried, apply a thin layer of the rust- activating solution. Over the next few hours the acid will begin to rust the iron in the paint.
- You can mist the surface with water as it dries to encourage the rusting activity. Murobond suggests sanding the surface back lightly and misting with salt water to further develop the rusted look.
- Once the rust is developed, apply a clear sealer to stop the rust from rubbing off (indoors) and staining nearby surfaces (outdoors).
Styling by Design Twins for Dulux Design Effects Collection. Photography by Amelia Stanwix.
Copper art
Copper-look paints bring the burnished beauty of copper to your interiors and exteriors. You can achieve the rosy glow of polished copper, or create a more lived-in look, by adding an authentic aged verdigris. Copper-effect paints, such as Dulux Design Copper and Copper Patina Effects, and Porter’s Paints’ Liquid Copper and Patina Green, are two-step processes that work in much the same way as the rust-effect paint.
Copper art
Copper-look paints bring the burnished beauty of copper to your interiors and exteriors. You can achieve the rosy glow of polished copper, or create a more lived-in look, by adding an authentic aged verdigris. Copper-effect paints, such as Dulux Design Copper and Copper Patina Effects, and Porter’s Paints’ Liquid Copper and Patina Green, are two-step processes that work in much the same way as the rust-effect paint.
While copper-effect paint will transform almost any substrate including plasterboard, wood, metal, masonry and previously painted surfaces, experts at Porter’s advise that it’s unsuitable for ‘high traffic’ surfaces such as hand rails and door knobs. The green patina effect is very delicate and constant touching will wear it away.
How to apply: The application process will be similar to that of rust-effect paint as described above.
How to apply: The application process will be similar to that of rust-effect paint as described above.
Styling by Steve Cordony for Dulux Design Effects Collection.
Photography Amelia Stanwix
Concrete creations
Concrete-effect paint can be used to add a sophisticated, industrial edge to your interior. Apply it to a feature wall or use it to pick out architectural details such as a fireplace surround.
Photography Amelia Stanwix
Concrete creations
Concrete-effect paint can be used to add a sophisticated, industrial edge to your interior. Apply it to a feature wall or use it to pick out architectural details such as a fireplace surround.
How to apply:
- Prep the surface to be painted (clean, sand where required, prime if necessary).
- The paint is thick, and requires a thorough stirring.
- Cut in edges with a brush, then apply paint to a section of the wall with a long-nap roller.
- Now it’s time to get creative: go over the area you’ve just painted with a steel trowel, smoothing the surface with broad strokes.
- Apply three coats of paint in this manner, then polish the surface with 600-grit sandpaper. This will help to bring out a lustrous gleam in the surface finish.
- Polish again with the steel trowel. The more you polish the final coat, the more depth of colour you will see.
Tell us
Have you used special-effect paints in your home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
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Find a paint or wallpaper specialist near you
Have you used special-effect paints in your home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
More
Find a paint or wallpaper specialist near you
Brands such as Haymes Paint, Rust-Oleum and Murobond now offer metallic- and textured-effect paint ranges. Dulux‘s new range includes polished on-trend concrete- and stainless steel-effect paints. These finishes allow you to personalise your home for very little outlay, according to Dulux colour expert, Andrea Lucena-Orr. “There are so many ways you can create a design statement with these effects, from painting pots for your indoor plants to painting an entire space,” she says.