How to Create a Fabric Finish with Paint

The key features of any room are color, pattern, and texture. These three elements come together to enhance, brighten, or elicit whatever feeling you are looking for in a room. When you paint the walls in a fabric finish, you are adding texture and giving the room a unique feel. The technique for creating this finish is called dragging or strie. The effect is accomplished by pulling a dry brush through a wet tinted glaze. Here is how you do it in four easy steps.

Step One

After you have laid out your drop cloth and taped the trim and corners, paint the base coat with a roller and allow it to dry completely. 

Step Two

Mix the glaze. There are different ways to do this. Some paint companies advise four parts glaze and one part your base color, and others recommend mixing equal parts. The bottom line is that either will do the job. You want to divide the walls into smaller sections because the paint will dry quickly, and you need time to create the fabric effect. Once the glaze is mixed, roll it onto the wall.

Step Three 

You will need a wallpaper smoothing brush or you can use a clean thicker paintbrush. Start at the top of the section, and pull the brush down to the bottom to expose the base. You want to avoid leaving obvious starting and stopping points. Make sure the strokes are continuous. Wait for it to dry.

Step Four

Repeat step three, but this time run the brush across the section from side to side. This horizontal texture will complete the fabric finish effect. Once it dries, your walls will have the faux fabric effect. You can clean your rollers and brushes, pick up the drop cloth, remove the tape, and you are finished.

Color Schemes

When you create this look, you should use two different colors. The dragging of the glaze coat will expose some of the base coat, which helps to achieve the textured look. You should stay in the same color families. Examples that look nice together are two different shades of blue, neutrals, or a blue and a white. You can really use any color you want, as long as the two colors complement each other.

What You Need to Get Started

For this project, you will need primer, your base color paint, a glaze color, two rollers, two rolling pans, a dry brush or wallpaper smoothing brush, and towels. You should prepare the area by putting down a drop cloth and taping the corners and molding. 

There are many reasons to create a textured faux fabric look on your walls, and it is a really simple project. This high-end interior design technique transforms your walls into artwork, and it creates a cozy feeling in the room. You can get paint in almost any color you can imagine today, and mixing two colors will give your walls an elegance that is unique to your home. 

Jeff Sommers

Jeff Sommers is a vibrant and experienced professional, having been at the helm of ESP Painting, Inc. for 27 remarkable years. As President, he has become an esteemed leader in the Commercial & Residential Construction industry in Oregon, United States. His experience has seen him gain valuable insight and knowledge, making him an invaluable asset to ESP Painting and its customers. With a bubbly personality and upbeat attitude, Jeff always looks ahead to the future as he continues his leadership journey toward success.