Create an Elegant Faux Finish with PaperIllusion Wallpaper

Add a Fabulous Faux Finish to Your Walls

Most faux finishing projects involve paint, but with PaperIllusion wallpaper you can achieve beautiful, one-of-a-kind designer looks without the mess, fumes, and endless hours of tedious work. Faux finish wallpaper is also more durable and long-lasting than paint. Are your walls cracked or uneven? No problem. PaperIllusion covers everything right up. It's also completely washable, but if a section becomes stained or torn, just patch over it with another piece. The paper is printed with a variety of faux finish effects, like marbleized stone, florentine marble and terra cotta. PaperIllusion wallpaper is addicting. Once you get a successful project under your belt, you'll want to try several more!

Creating Simple Elegance in Your Decor

Creating beautiful faux finishes on your walls has never been easier. The hardest part is picking out the paper as there are so many colors and finishes to choose from. You won't need special tools, and you can work in small increments of time, since there is little clean up or prep time involved. People won't believe you did this yourself, and you won't believe how easy it is!

Travertine Illusion Terra Cotta

Step One: Tear

Start by tearing the paper into random, irregular shapes. I like to tear up a roll while watching television or sitting around with friends. I put torn pieces into two piles: one for those that have a straight edge, and one for those that don't. If you want your walls to have a veined look, let the underside of the paper show once in awhile. I do a little of both, depending on the color I'm using. For example, the Tuscan Red script paper has a gray underside, which looks really pretty with the red colors. Some of the lighter colors have a white underside, which looks like grout when layered. I've done walls with and without the underside showing, but you need to decide before you start tearing. It looks great either way, but you're the designer! Do a few sample pieces before you tear up an entire roll. That way you can decide what looks best for your project.

Step Two: Dip

When you're ready to begin, just dip a piece of the paper into warm water for a few seconds. Some of the PaperIllusion kits include a tray like the one pictured here, but a bowl of water works just as well. I change the water every half hour or so. You can start anywhere, but I typically begin at the top of a wall and work my way down and out. If you start at the top, begin with the pieces that have a straight edge.

Step Three: Apply

Now for the fun part. Apply the torn wet paper in an overlapping manner to any clean, dry surface. You can even use PaperIllusion wallpaper over paneling as long as the grooves are 1/4" or less in width. Once you've overlapped and positioned your piece of wet paper, just use a smoothing tool to press it into place and a damp sponge to remove excess water. That's all there is to it. Just keep applying the paper until your surface is completely covered. I usually work for an hour or so at a time, take a break, then go back to it.

Script Illusion in Tuscan Red

One of my favorite PaperIllusion styles is Script Illusion. Our hallway was covered with dreary, yellowed wallpaper that dated back several decades. My least favorite home improvement project is removing old wallpaper. On top of being messy, it wastes hours that could be spent doing something more creative and constructive. In this case, I was able to simply peel off the wallpaper and leave the liner. Then I papered over the liner with Tuscan Red Script Illusion. Regular wallpaper would have been problematic since I needed to accommodate six doors and a built-in cabinet in the hallway. I used the same paper in a bedroom closet that had decaying, boldly striped wallpaper from the 1920s. I decided not to strip this paper, since I wasn't sure what was underneath, but the PaperIllusion wallpaper adhered beautifully. Also, because Tuscan Red is such a rich color, the striped paper was completely camouflaged. I was sure we'd have to panel the closet in wood, so PaperIllusion definitely saved the day.

Script Illusion Tuscan Red

Purchase Script Illusion

Script Illusion wallpaper is available here in Pearl & Cream, Burnished Gold, and Tuscan Red.

Paper Illusion Wallpaper

Amazon Price: $36.95 (as of 10/07/2008)

Paper Illusion Wallpaper

Amazon Price: $36.95 (as of 10/07/2008)

Paper Illusion Wallpaper

Amazon Price: $36.95 (as of 10/07/2008)

Hearthstone Illusion Cream and Bone