12 Pretty Paint Finish Ideas We Love

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Whether you're looking to create an accent wall or spice up an old dresser with a new paint job, finishing techniques are great for adding final flair. Here are our best ideas to get you inspired (and ready for your next trip to Home Depot #WeekendProject!).

Photography: Marcus Smith

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Painted Leaf Appliqué Furniture Set

Add an extra layer of dimension (and sophistication!) by adding appliqués to accent a chest of drawers or mirror frame. Paint any appliqués and furniture pieces separately—we love PPG's Ultra-Hide Zero Pebble Grey Flat—then secure pieces with a caulk gun and heavy-duty adhesive.

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Gingham Wall

The trick to re-creating this gingham pattern is to pull a potter's rib (into which teeth have been cut) through yellow glazes, first vertically and then horizontally.

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Faux-Bois Dresser

An embossed-paint rocker and a combing tool, dragged through a green glaze, leave a faux-bois (wood-grain) imprint.

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Fine Linen Wall

The sharp bristles of a horsehair flogger, drawn through a tinted glaze, create the illusion of fine linen. For the herringbone chair, revive an iconic midcentury-modern look simply by dragging a combing tool across the chair diagonally—first in one direction, then the other.

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Raw-Silk Wall

It may shine like raw silk, but this soft-blue wall with subtle stripes is produced by a pad of steel wool drawn through an iridescent glaze.

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Combed Wall Tiles

Made by passing the teeth of a craft tool through a coat of tinted glaze, combed tiles give dimension to a home-office wall. By alternating the directions of the lines, you help create a sense of movement.

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Photography: EARL CARTER

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Faux Bamboo Paint Technique

With a few clever paint tricks (read: mixing shades of brown just right), you can easily upgrade your favorite piece of furniture to fit the outdoors boho look of your dreams.

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Floral Stenciled Dining Chair

Give your padded chairs a subtle spring feel with a bit of stencil work. Finish the look by lightly sanding the fabric to "soften" the paint, then apply a clear wax to all wooden sections.

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Bordered Chest of Drawers

This Swedish-style bureau is painted in colors inspired by the Gustavian period. A glaze was rubbed with steel wool to enhance the overall patina of the piece.

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Photography: John Armitage

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Batik-Pattern Stenciled Headboard

Don't let this headbord's intricate appearance fool you; the technique behind this elegant look is surprisingly simple.

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Photography: JIM FRANCO

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Landscape Mural

Although this mural looks complex, the techniques are both easy to master and forgiving. Painting is done with a single color diluted to various concentrations and applied in layers. Highlights are created through reduction: painting, then wiping some color away.

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