| Beadboard can give even a room in a brand new | | | | shade to allow the paint to flow into the grooves |
| house a wonderfully antique look, and using faux | | | | smoothly. You'll be painting only the grooves between |
| techniques, you can also make your beadboard look | | | | the boards with this darker color. Use a sponge brush |
| as if it's been in your room forever. Here are the basic | | | | with a wedged tip for this first coat and then let the |
| steps to get the designer look for less money. | | | | paint dry. |
| First, of course, you'll need to come up with enough | | | | Next, dip a larger sponge brush--one wide enough to |
| beadboard to fit your application. You can either find it | | | | cover at least two grooves--into your second paint |
| in an architectural salvage shop or you can buy it new | | | | can, which should be undiluted. Then run your brush |
| at most large home improvement centers. Either way | | | | over the entire surface, keeping your brush flat so that |
| will work, but you'll probably find it easier to find a large | | | | the paint doesn't run too much into the grooves. Allow |
| quantity if you buy your beadboard new. | | | | that coat to dry, as well. |
| Once you've obtained your beadboard, the next step | | | | Finally, using a marine sponge, apply a coat of blue |
| is to glue it to your wall, just as you'd do if you were | | | | color wash consisting of a glaze tinted with color |
| putting up paneling. This technique works better than | | | | similar to your first coat. Apply it initially by just dabbing |
| trying to nail your beadboard to the walls, because its | | | | the glaze around in random patterns, and then work |
| thin strips won't allow you the luxury of finding studs. | | | | your sponge back and forth over the beadboard, |
| After the beadboard has been applied to the wall, | | | | rather than up and down, as with the first two coats. |
| you're ready to being painting. Use two shades of the | | | | This will give your beadboard a nice striated effect, |
| same color. In order to maintain the antique feel of | | | | causing it to look older and more weathered than it |
| your new beadboard, it's preferable to use an eggshell | | | | really is, especially if you originally bought it brand new |
| finish, which will have a small amount sheen, slightly | | | | from your local home improvement center. |
| more than flat paint, but not as much as a satin or high | | | | Take your time as you go and you should be quite |
| gloss paint. Using an eggshell also will allow the | | | | pleased with the results. Applying a faux aging |
| beadboard to be cleaned more easily and makes it | | | | technique to your beadboard can change the |
| more resistant to stains and wear. Your second color | | | | appearance of a room dramatically and add a |
| should be two or three shades lighter than your first | | | | pleasant touch of whimsical Victorian charm--without |
| choice. | | | | breaking the budget in the process. |
| It's a good idea to mix a little water into your dark | | | | |