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Wall borders and paint do adorn some walls, but it is an added dimension to the walls that catches the eye and is part of a wonderful trend. Called faux finishes, trompe I'oeil or faux decorative painting, it is wall artwork that had its origin hundreds of years ago. Art Imitating Art "It is a very old art," said Trisa Vnuk, of Rose Room Interiors, Cudahay. "Wallpaper was originally made to imitate the painting; now the painting imitates the paper." Wallpaper also limits one's choices while the imagination can run wild with the use of faux finishes. "These finishes have no wallpaper seams, are completely washable and, with people's desire to change, can be redone." "With faux finishes," Vnuk said, "you can get the feeling that they (the customers) want." During the Parade of Home, Vnuk lent her talents to David & Goliath Builders, who built the Oconomowoc Cape II home. The step ceiling of the master bedroom, fitted with inlaid lighting around the lip, was painted in sage, brown and gold foil speckling that echoed the background of wall border used in the adjoining master bath. "When we first painted this ceiling, we felt it was too dark," Vnuk said. "We were able to lighten it, which is something you won't do with wallpaper. With a faux finish, you an come up with any feeling you want." The bedding also tied in the whole color scheme. Vnuk occasionally uses one piece in the room and takes it from there. The utility room of this Cape Cod had an interesting mirror that inspired Vnuk. It featured climbing ivy and a plaster look with uneven exposed brick. Vnuk extended the ivy all over the room and used the exposed brick design as various points around the room. "It was the easiest to do, yet the one design that got the most attention," Vnuk said. WAVES OF SUBTLETY The dining room, created by the owner of Faux Finishes by Lisa A. LaBarbera of Franklin, was done by using tinted plaster. Four buckets of plaster are compound were used, and LaBarbera then created a subtle waved pattern that was very similar to that found in the room's rug. LaBarbera then sanded the walls and applied a clear coat of sealant to them. Trompe l'oeil---literally "fool the eye"---is a very interest style of faux finishing, and Sharon Folsom of Fresco Art in Bay View used it most attractively in an upstairs bedroom. She created a round skylight that mimicked the actual view one might see glancing up from the bed. The skylight is quite large and can even be seen from the bottom of the stairs. A header above the window behind the bed was inspired by the cutout design featured in the headboard. Folsom will also be showcasing her work in the Symphony Show house in Grafton, which will be open to the public soon. "I was asked to paint the staircase leading down to the basement, which leads to an exercise room and a children's play area," Folsom said. "I wanted to draw people down there and so I used an outside effect." Folsom employed the trompe I'oeil style and painted a window and shutters with rose vines adoring the wall. "The real wall has a fire extinguisher door and I went out the back door of the house and I observed the view. I then painted what can be seen from there---a little cottage and a pond with a boat in it." She said. ADVANTAGE IS FLEXIBILITY Folsom loves the freedom of faux finishes and fresco art. "You have such control," she said. "You might start in a room and then be able to change it." Folsom generally applies a finishing glaze o her projects and this is enough to seal in the colors. "The glazes hold up on their own," she said. "I do apply a sealant in high traffic areas or in bathrooms." She leaves behind little bottles of paint in the colors used so that her clients can touch up any painted surface if necessary. The cost of these projects is indirect proportion to the work to be done. Faux finishes can be a very elegant look, a very fun centerpiece and a very clever way to truly personalize a home. It is limited only by the imagination.
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