In a previous post, Yellow and Green Warm a Northern Great Room, I promised to share the process I’m using to glaze walls in my master bedroom suite.  Before you adapt these tips for yourself, you may want to read my previous post titled How to Paint a Room.  After painting the wall you then glaze with at least one color. 

Glazing Methods

There are many methods for using glaze and they all are either applied or subtractive.  Applied means you add the glaze to the wall over the paint to obtain the desired effect.   Subtractive means after painting the wall you cover a section of it with glaze and then remove, or subtract, some of the glaze to obtain the desired effect.  Some of the methods for applying or subtracting glaze include:
  • Apply glaze with things like… 
    • cotton rag     (turn hand and rewad fabric to keep pattern looking random)
    • cheese cloth (open weave leaves a unique texture)
    • cotton terry (loopy fabric leaves a unique texture)
    • wadded plastic  (kitchen wrap or a dry cleaner’s bag – not absorbent like cloth so more of the glaze is left on the wall)
    • dry brush (load the brush lightly and then wipe some glaze off on paper towel)
    • large sponge (pounce off some of the glaze before applying to wall)

 

  • Subtract glaze with with things like…
    • roll a cotton rag over it (twist a cotton rag into a roll and then push across the glaze to pick up some and still leave some in a random pattern)
    • run an empty brush over the glaze  to remove some of it, wipe the bristles with a cloth to remove collected glaze and repeat (do vertically and then horizontally   to create a linen finish)
    • wadded a rag and pounce over the glaze

 My Process

My target project is a wall in the dressing area of my closet.  First I painted the wall with latex paint.
Cut in and then roll or brush the base color onto the wall.

Cut in and then roll or brush the base color onto the wall.

 

After the base coat dried I chose to apply glaze to the wall with a 100% cotton rag. 
Experiment with the size of rag. I chose a small rag for this project but you may prefer to use a larger wad of cloth.

Experiment with the size of rag. I chose a small rag for this project but you may prefer to use a larger wad of cloth.

 
Sometimes I applied the glaze “full strength” and other times I dipped my rag in glaze and then water to dilute it slightly.
Sometimes I dipped my rag lightly in water to thin the glaze for added transparency.

Sometimes I dipped my rag lightly in water to thin the glaze for added transparency.

 

After dipping lightly into the water I pressed the cloth against the can lid so the water and glaze mixed before pouncing the rag on the wall.

After dipping lightly into the water I pressed the cloth against the can lid so the water and glaze mixed before pouncing the rag on the wall.

 

I pounced the glaze on in several spots and then rubbed it out in random directions.
Work small areas of the wall at a time. Here I add the first pounced spotches to the wall.

Work small areas of the wall at a time. Here I add the first pounced splotches to the wall.

 

Work the splotches of glaze onto the wall by randomly pouncing your rag and rubbing it lightly on the wall.

Work the splotches of glaze by randomly pouncing your rag and rubbing it lightly on the wall.

 

After completing one area continue working the glaze into the next area.  Glaze dries quickly so don’t splotch glaze on too large an area before pouncing and working it.
Finsh glazing one area and then extend to another until the wall is done.

Finish glazing one area and then extend to another until the wall is done.

 

The upper half of the wall is glazed.

The upper half of the wall is glazed.

 

After the glaze dries remove the painter’s tape and move the furniture back in!
The plaque above the window was a gift from my husband years ago. It reads "Grow old along with me...the best is yet to be."

The plaque above the window was a gift from my husband years ago. It reads "Grow old along with me...the best is yet to be."

 

Dresser looks more at home against the glazed wall than it did against the plain cream wall.

The dresser looks more at home against the glazed wall than it did against the plain cream wall.

 

See For Yourself

If you’re interested in tackling a glazing project you may find this YouTube video helpful.  The steps are similar to the ones I used but there’s always room for variation and experimentation with glazing.

Tell Us About It

Have you ever glazed a wall and, if so, what technique did you use?  What worked for you and what didn’t?  If you’ve never glazed a wall do you have any questions about doing so?  Is it something you might try?  I’d love to see what you’ve already done or a chance to see planned projects once they’re completed.  Leave me a comment below  or email me at solutions@yourdecoratinghotline.com.   It makes my day to hear from you – especially if something I’ve written elicits a response.

This post is linked to a couple of other blogs and you can visit them for even more DIY project ideas.  Visit A Soft Place to Land and/or Domestically-Speaking.

 

cindy+lainieday

Lakeside Collection ZES bedding 180x150

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