The Basics

Metal is durable, versatile, and often heavy. But despite its industrial tendencies, there's also something inherently beautiful about it. But how can you capture the natural beauty of this material in your decorating yet avoid its weightiness and rigidity? The solution lies in a few layers of paint. You can get the rich, sleek look of gold, silver, and copper by artfully applying thin layers of glaze and color-shifting interference colors over a base-coated wall.

 

• Flat latex paint (we used Sherwin-Williams): Ivoire SW 6127, Enchanted Evening SW 1229, and Spearmint SW 6465
• Valspar Metal and Patina glazes: Silver, Gold, Copper, and Bronze
• Golden Interference Acrylic colors: Interference Gold, Interference Blue, and Interference Orange
• Yardstick
• Pencil
• Level
• 1-inch-wide painter's tape
• 2 small paint pans
• 2 small paint rollers for smooth surfaces

1. Base-coat the wall with a color to coordinate with the finish you choose. Use Ivoire for a gold wall, Enchanted Evening for a silver wall, or Spearmint for a copper wall.
2. Using a yardstick, pencil, and level, lightly mark the block design onto the wall. Tape around the outsides of several of the blocks using painter's tape.
3. Pour small amounts of silver, gold, copper, or bronze glazes in various combinations into the small paint pans. (Note: For some of the blocks, we experimented with different glaze combinations to get the desired effects. Some blocks were painted with only one glaze color, while others were painted with two or more glazes mixed in varying ratios.)
4. Use a small paint roller to apply a thin layer of glaze to the taped-off blocks. Allow the glaze to dry. Gradually apply more layers to the blocks, letting the glaze dry between coats. Keep the layers light, and vary the pressure with the roller to create different textural effects from block to block. Let dry.
5. Remove tape, and tape off adjoining blocks. Repeat the process of applying glaze to the blocks. Vary the look by allowing the base coat to show through on some of the blocks and applying heavier layers of glaze on others.
6. After all of the blocks have been treated with glaze, retape selected blocks. Pour a small amount of interference color into a small paint pan, and apply a thin layer of color to the edges of the blocks or to entire blocks for highlights.
7. After the entire wall has been painted, step back and evaluate the effect. Add more highlights as desired.