One of my good friends, Nicole, has been talking about doing this faux brick wall forever and it’s finally done!! If you remember my post from Kathy with Our Amore Blog a few weeks ago, this is her fabulous niece she was referring to who introduced us. Nicole is such a planner and tested all sorts of methods of distressing this brick before she dove on in, and all the trial and error paid off because it’s looks awesome.

Supplies:

• Faux Brick Panels (Nicole bought hers at Home Depot and had them cut to her measurements) – about $25 per panel
• Nail Gun and nails
• Dremel or sharp exacto-knife for cutting holes for outlets
• Spackle (brand below – She used almost 4 of these canisters, so may be cheaper buying a bigger once depending on your wall size)
• Putty Knife
• Painters Tape to protect walls
• Sandpaper

Installation:

1. Measure your walls and get the precise cuts you need for your wall
2. Plan how pattern will line up
3. Cut panels (Home Depot will do this for you if you have your measurements, highly recommended since this stuff is hard to cut straight and is a HUGE time saver)
4. Use a razor or dremal to cut holes for outlets
5. Use nail gun once positioned to secure to wall * Tip – Work in at least a pair to help position and secure to wall. The panels are a little ackward and can shift easily in the installation process. Working alone will be frustrating and a huge time sink.

White “German Smear” Technique:

1. Scoop the spackle on to the end of the spreading knife
2. Smear the spackle on to the wall (how thick or thin you leave it is up to you)
3. After you have done a small section, using your finger, smear out some of the excess spackle from the “grout” of the brick
4. Continue this process until your wall is covered
5. As the spackle begins to dry, wet your fingers to and lightly trace the “grout”.  We found that this helped smooth it out. *Tip- If possible, work in a pair like Nicole in her mom did. One person smears large amounts with putty knife while other person comes in behind to add/smear with wet fingertips. It dries fast so it will lessen the amount of time of alternating bewteen fingers and putty knife.
6. Let the wall completely dry
7. After the wall is dry, you can use your sandpaper to distress it (how much you sand off is personal preference)

Of course you can leave the brick color if you would like, but the white distressing is perfect for Nicole’s Tuscan vibe and all decor. It also makes this accent wall pop and help makes the room look bigger. She is looking for some accent pieces for the sides of the fireplace…any ideas?