Look of Leather Accent Wall

This Look of Leather Accent Wall not only makes a statement, it serves as a sophisticated backdrop for an entertainment center, photos and other artwork.  You would never guess you can achieve this look by using plastic grocery bags!  But that’s exactly what I used.  Don’t ever accuse me of not doing my part to reduce our carbon footprint.  I’m all about recycling and repurposing, when I paint!  And you can be too.  Here’s how I did it:

It all started when my friend wanted a bold accent wall in her family room, but wasn’t exactly sure what would go with the existing paint color in the room.  So, I looked around and found inspiration from something that was already hanging on her walls.

After studying the colors and the uneven pattern in these small plaques, I was reminded of leather and knew it wouldn’t take much to achieve that look for the accent wall.  I started by picking out my base paint color, taking the lighter, orange-y shade from the artwork and matching it.   Then I got some glaze, and had it tinted to match the darker shade of brown in the same artwork.  With my paint and glaze ready to go, all I needed now was lots and lots of plastic shopping bags.

 

I rolled the base paint color onto the wall and decided to paint the inside of a couple of archways while I was at it.  It’s always nice when you can throw some pattern on a wall and call attention to architectural detail. 

 

Once the base coat dries, this is where the tricky part comes in.  Using a paint roller, roll the glaze over the base coat, working in small areas at a time.  You never want to roll your glaze in straight up and down lines.  You have to zig-zag it a bit and create different shapes each time while feathering out the edges.

 

As soon as you roll on your glaze, IMMEDIATELY scrunch up a plastic paper bag and pound it over the glaze.  This will lift off some of the glaze exposing some of the color underneath, and leaving behind only a hint of the top coat, in a cool, never to be repeated the same way twice pattern.  Please note, this is messy.  Your plastic bag will quickly become covered in glaze.  Just turn it around and use another side that’s clean, turn it inside out, then when it’s completely dirty, it’s time to grab a new one.  I can’t stress enough how quickly you have to do this.  Glaze dries fast.  Make sure you have all the bags you need within reach. And have a trash nearby to toss the used plastic bags.

When you finish pounding off the glaze and you have a look you like, then roll some more glaze onto another small portion of the wall and repeat the process.  Be careful not to overlap too much glaze where your different patches meet, otherwise those sections will be too dark.

As with any faux painting, I recommend practicing your technique on a piece of scrap wood, drywall or even cardboard first.  Or, at the very least, begin painting a portion of the wall that will be covered by furniture.  If it’s your kitchen, start behind your refrigerator, if it’s your bathroom, start behind the toilet.  If it’s your living room, start behind the entertainment center.  This way any mistakes you make, while finding your groove, won’t be seen.  Once you get the hang of it, things will begin to flow and look better.

This Look of Leather Accent Wall turned out great.  It’s unique, it looks very high-end, and it definitely makes a bold statement.