Decorating
Faux Finishes Designed to Fool You
Phoney, imitation and fake, these ideas are decorating's beautiful imposters
Do you love the look of concrete and steel but not the cool touch? The marvel of marble or malachite but not the expense? Well, you’re in luck! Read on to hear how you can make your walls mimic marble, your floor feign wood grain and keep your garden as green as the day your lawn was laid with these fantastic (often plastic) faux finishes.
Trickster turf
You’ll never have to water or mow your lawn again when you lay artificial grass. An installer simply cuts and fits it to the outdoor area to be covered, just like they would a roll of carpet in your living room. Fake turf can even be neatly trimmed around garden pavers or stepping stones. Plus, it looks verdant green all year long – and not just after rain. The narrow backyard pictured here is ideally suited to artificial grass as the natural stuff would be compromised by the shade cast by the large tree in the corner of the property. The spotted gum deck and sealed blue stone pavers, also in shot, are, however, the real deal.
Fun ways with fake grass
You’ll never have to water or mow your lawn again when you lay artificial grass. An installer simply cuts and fits it to the outdoor area to be covered, just like they would a roll of carpet in your living room. Fake turf can even be neatly trimmed around garden pavers or stepping stones. Plus, it looks verdant green all year long – and not just after rain. The narrow backyard pictured here is ideally suited to artificial grass as the natural stuff would be compromised by the shade cast by the large tree in the corner of the property. The spotted gum deck and sealed blue stone pavers, also in shot, are, however, the real deal.
Fun ways with fake grass
Mock malachite
Lining your walls with real malachite would cost a small fortune, but there are other ways to get the look of this exotic stone without resorting to highway robbery. The malachite-inspired feature wall pictured here magnifies the whorl-patterns that occur in a cross-section of the vibrant green stone in a mural. The design is made even more dramatic by being offset by a plain cream decor.
Malachite patterns were loved by the designers that developed Hollywood Regency style, which had its heyday in the 1930s. But more recently, interior designers Kelly Wearstler and Jonathan Adler have helped re-popularise malachite-inspired designs.
Learn all about this semi-precious stone
Lining your walls with real malachite would cost a small fortune, but there are other ways to get the look of this exotic stone without resorting to highway robbery. The malachite-inspired feature wall pictured here magnifies the whorl-patterns that occur in a cross-section of the vibrant green stone in a mural. The design is made even more dramatic by being offset by a plain cream decor.
Malachite patterns were loved by the designers that developed Hollywood Regency style, which had its heyday in the 1930s. But more recently, interior designers Kelly Wearstler and Jonathan Adler have helped re-popularise malachite-inspired designs.
Learn all about this semi-precious stone
Masquerading marble
There is nothing cheap-looking about the faux marble finish in this bathroom. Fine porcelain tiles, which cover the walls and floor, have an illustrative approach to the graphic pattern inspired by the veins of marble.
A fake marble look can also be achieved by a painting technique in which swirls of colour are floated on water and then transferred to an absorbent paper or fabric. There are plenty of wallpapers and upholstery fabrics to choose from that feature marbling as a pattern.
There is nothing cheap-looking about the faux marble finish in this bathroom. Fine porcelain tiles, which cover the walls and floor, have an illustrative approach to the graphic pattern inspired by the veins of marble.
A fake marble look can also be achieved by a painting technique in which swirls of colour are floated on water and then transferred to an absorbent paper or fabric. There are plenty of wallpapers and upholstery fabrics to choose from that feature marbling as a pattern.
Pretend planks
Believe it or not, the deck of this cool inner-city entertaining area is not timber, but a lookalike. According to designer Anna Carin it’s called ModWood and is a composite of recycled wood and plastic. The planks look and feel like natural timber, but require none of the care usually necessary. “It’s waterproof, mould proof, rot proof, and requires no maintenance – I love it!” says Carin.
Believe it or not, the deck of this cool inner-city entertaining area is not timber, but a lookalike. According to designer Anna Carin it’s called ModWood and is a composite of recycled wood and plastic. The planks look and feel like natural timber, but require none of the care usually necessary. “It’s waterproof, mould proof, rot proof, and requires no maintenance – I love it!” says Carin.
Could be wood
Mixed wood-look tiles are a great low-maintenance option for high-traffic areas. They can be used for flooring or on walls inside, and in place of decking outside. They are waterproof, stain-resistant, scratch-resistant, and fireproof.
The great thing about all the different ‘timber tones’ or colours to choose from is that you can mix them up and lay them in unusual combinations, which might be difficult to do if using reclaimed wooden planks.
Tiles faking the wood look
Mixed wood-look tiles are a great low-maintenance option for high-traffic areas. They can be used for flooring or on walls inside, and in place of decking outside. They are waterproof, stain-resistant, scratch-resistant, and fireproof.
The great thing about all the different ‘timber tones’ or colours to choose from is that you can mix them up and lay them in unusual combinations, which might be difficult to do if using reclaimed wooden planks.
Tiles faking the wood look
Artificial agate
Neither glass nor wallpaper and definitely not the real thing, this stunning wall of pink agate is actually created from a ceramic tile. The tile has be treated with a specialised technique, which relies on the latest technology for its look. Images of agate or other semi-precious stone cross-sections are ink-jet printed onto a slab of engineered clay and then fired. The final result is a large glazed porcelain tile that looks like a slab of polished stone.
Agata Corniola tile from the Geologica collection: Fiandre
Neither glass nor wallpaper and definitely not the real thing, this stunning wall of pink agate is actually created from a ceramic tile. The tile has be treated with a specialised technique, which relies on the latest technology for its look. Images of agate or other semi-precious stone cross-sections are ink-jet printed onto a slab of engineered clay and then fired. The final result is a large glazed porcelain tile that looks like a slab of polished stone.
Agata Corniola tile from the Geologica collection: Fiandre
Unreal rocks
Bean bags are so last season! The latest larger-than-life layabout cushions for living areas are pebble-shaped pillows and bolsters made to look like boulders. The owners of this sunken lounge room have grouped them together like an indoor soft-toy rock garden, accessed by hard-edged concrete steps. So surreal!
See more of this great terrace house in Singapore
Bean bags are so last season! The latest larger-than-life layabout cushions for living areas are pebble-shaped pillows and bolsters made to look like boulders. The owners of this sunken lounge room have grouped them together like an indoor soft-toy rock garden, accessed by hard-edged concrete steps. So surreal!
See more of this great terrace house in Singapore
Imitation wood grain
You could be forgiven for thinking the wall units of these sleek kitchen cabinets are made from a light Scandinavian timber, but they’re in fact made from a melamine plastic laminate that emulates oak. Even the splashback is a faux cement laminate.
Ariel oak melamine in ‘Light Sherwood’: Cesar Kitchens
You could be forgiven for thinking the wall units of these sleek kitchen cabinets are made from a light Scandinavian timber, but they’re in fact made from a melamine plastic laminate that emulates oak. Even the splashback is a faux cement laminate.
Ariel oak melamine in ‘Light Sherwood’: Cesar Kitchens
Bogus bookcase
Some people consider libraries fusty and outdated. While to some this sentiment is akin to heresy, others will wholeheartedly agree. Now that books can simply be downloaded and read on an e-reader, many consider a home library to be redundant and a waste of valuable space.
However, if you still like the look of a big bookcase stuffed with your favourite tomes, but will likely read them in digital format, you’ll welcome this whimsical wall covering that still shows off your bookish side.
Bookshelf wallpaper: Andrew Martin
Some people consider libraries fusty and outdated. While to some this sentiment is akin to heresy, others will wholeheartedly agree. Now that books can simply be downloaded and read on an e-reader, many consider a home library to be redundant and a waste of valuable space.
However, if you still like the look of a big bookcase stuffed with your favourite tomes, but will likely read them in digital format, you’ll welcome this whimsical wall covering that still shows off your bookish side.
Bookshelf wallpaper: Andrew Martin
Pseudo steel
Create the look of sheet steel on your walls by painting and ragging them with a coloured plaster that has an embedded metallic pigment. This will give you the industrial look you so desire, without the expense or the cold feel of steel.
More interesting wall finishes
TELL US
Have you used any faux finishes in your home? Take a photo and share it with us in the Comments section.
MORE
From the Pros: 7 Top Tips for Painting Interior Walls
Brush Up on Paint: Know Your Matts From Your Glosses
11 Striking Floorboard Finishes Worth Giving a Go
Create the look of sheet steel on your walls by painting and ragging them with a coloured plaster that has an embedded metallic pigment. This will give you the industrial look you so desire, without the expense or the cold feel of steel.
More interesting wall finishes
TELL US
Have you used any faux finishes in your home? Take a photo and share it with us in the Comments section.
MORE
From the Pros: 7 Top Tips for Painting Interior Walls
Brush Up on Paint: Know Your Matts From Your Glosses
11 Striking Floorboard Finishes Worth Giving a Go
If you can’t afford a cool concrete bunker with all the latest ‘industrial chic’ design finishes, but still want a convincing factory look in your humble home, a wallpaper with photographic concrete imagery works a treat. You can also get the look of a concrete wall by applying a distressed painting technique as a way to add visual texture to your walls – although you’ll need an expert for this option.
Unusual ways to use real concrete at home