- 1). Remove all furniture and fixtures from the room. This includes any pictures, outlet covers or other decorations on the walls. If you have anything that cannot be removed, cover it with plastic sheeting.
- 2). Stretch plastic sheeting over the entire floor of the room to protect from paint drips. Secure the sheeting in place with painter's tape; tape it directly to the floor, or to any baseboards if you choose not to paint those.
- 3). Wipe down all walls you intend to faux-marble finish with a sponge or small scrub brush dampened in soapy water. If the wall is in an area with a high level of grease or oil buildup, such as a kitchen, use grease-cutting soap or a solvent cleaner like mineral spirits to remove all buildup.
- 4). Rinse the walls with clean water to remove residual cleaner. Allow the walls to dry completely for 24 hours before continuing.
- 5). Patch any small holes or scratches in the walls with spackle and a putty knife. Be sure to keep the repairs level with the rest of the wall. Allow the spackle to dry per product instructions and then lightly sand the repairs with fine-grit sandpaper to bring them flush with the rest of the wall. Wipe down the area with a tack cloth to remove residual sanding dust.
- 6). Cover all borders around the wall with painter's tape to protect edges you do not want to paint. This includes joints between the wall and the ceiling or floor. You should also seal off windowsills and doorframes if you don't want them painted.
- 7). Ventilate the room by opening doors and windows, so that the fumes from the paint products do not build up and cause discomfort. Prime the surface with a water-based or latex primer. Cover the entire surface with a paint roller or paintbrush in a thin, even coat. This will ensure that your new paint has a smooth surface for better bonding. Allow the primer to dry completely before continuing.
- 8). Cover the wall with a base coat of white latex satin paint. Coat a nylon-polyester paint brush in the paint and paint the detail areas around the edges and around any taped off areas. Then load a 3/8 inch nap roller with the paint and fill in the rest of the wall. Work ceiling to floor in long, even strokes, and overlap each stroke by about 1/2 inch to avoid roller marks. Allow the base coat to dry for at least six hours before continuing.
- 9). Apply a second base coat of the same paint in the same method. Allow this second coat to dry fully for at least 24 hours before continuing.
- 10
Mix one part satin paint, one part untinted glaze and one part water into a small bowl. This will be the basic color of your marble. Repeat the mixture with a second color of satin paint in the same family as the first; for example, two different shades of brown. Adding the glaze will create a shiny and slightly see-through finish. - 11
Start at the top left corner of your wall. Load a 2 inch paintbrush with your first paint/glaze mixture and paint on a 1 foot long squiggly line down the wall about 3 feet. Repeat with a fresh brush and the second color, placing the second line about 6 inches from the first, so that you wall has two separate squiggly lines. - 12
Grab a cheesecloth in your hand and squish it in so that no ends hang free. Use the cheesecloth to rub the two lines in small circles into the surface, blending the two colors together as you work. Your surface will take on a mottled, blended color of the two paints. The two lines should cover an area about 3 feet tall by 3 feet wide. - 13
Dampen a separate cheesecloth and dab at the still-wet paint in your first area to blend in any smears. Add more paint as necessary to fill in really light areas. - 14
Repeat the line applications and blending across the entire wall surface. As the cheesecloth begins to accumulate paint, rinse it off in warm water or switch to a new cloth to avoid clumping the paint. Allow this coat of paint/glaze to dry completely. If necessary, apply a second coat with the same method to achieve a darker or more blended color. The final coat must dry for at least 24 hours before you can continue. - 15
Dip the tip of a fine-point artist brush into the white satin paint you used for the base coat. Trace veins onto your marble surface with the point of the brush. Each person's veins will be different, as they are supposed to be random and intersect at different areas. Apply the veins per your own aesthetic. - 16
Bounce or brush a dry paintbrush over each vein as you finish it, while the paint is still wet. This will give the veins the authentic, blended look of marble. Continue until you have applied all veins, and allow the paint to dry for 24 hours before continuing. - 17
Seal your entire wall with a thin coat of clear polyurethane, applied with a roller. Coat the entire area with the polyurethane, which will give the wall a marble-like shine and will protect the paint from fading or staining. Allow the finish coat to dry for 24 hours before removing tape and sheeting.
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