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FAUX MARBLES

HISTORICAL USE

Over four thousand years ago, Mycenaean’s faux finished pottery to emulate the look of  marble. Two thousand years later, marbling was found framing murals and ornaments in the homes of Pompeii to mimic the lush interiors of the time.

In the fifteenth and sixteenth-century, Architects call upon faux finishers, for a design solution, to paint marble over inadequately supported load-bearing walls. Many people are surprised to learn, many lavishly decorated buildings, such as Saint Peters in Rome, and the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, have been ordained with faux finished marble.

Early traces of faux finished marble in North America can be found in mansions of the East coast.  Despite large budgets and the availability of real marble, practical and decorative solutions still called for faux finishing.

AS A DESIGN SOLUTION

Marble is imitated with paint for several reasons, most of which have to do with cost and convenience:

• Paint is light-weight, and requires no extra costly architectural support.
• There are no costly shipping charges associated with faux finishing.
• Faux marble is simpler, and less expensive, to restore.
• Is much simpler to install in existing structures.
• Painting marble is much quicker then shipping and installing real marble.
• With an endless color palette we have the ability to match existing marble.
• Recreating extinct marbles no longer available for purchase is now an option.
• For decorative solutions, we can match or invent color combinations.

It is interesting to note, due to time and budget constraints, the Opera House in the Palace of Versailles, built by Jacques-Ang Gabriel in 1770, was constructed entirely of wood but painted to look like real marble. Even today, as the Palace of Versaille is being restored, 70 some year old faux finishing master Pierre LaFamont, who Steve Diadoo has studied, has been called to faux finish the Palace to it’s original state.

FOUR FAMILIES OF MARBLE

Whether from France, Italy, Belgium, North Africa, Ireland or California, marble falls into four categories (According to decorative painters.) Based on aesthetics and not physical composition. Those are: Veined, Breche, Cloudy and Onyx.

• Veined marbles White Carrera, Sea Green, Yellow Sienna, and Yellow Flower.
• Breche marbles White Breche, Imperador, Violet Breche, Portor, and Grand Antique.
• Cloudy marbles Saint Anne, Rouge Languedoc and Rouge Royale are a few examples.
• Onyx quarried in small amounts and often referred to as its predominant color.

SUITABLE APPLICATIONS

Marble can serve as a timeless decorative finish that can be appropriate in any room, and any style of decoration. In the Graves Hotel in Minneapolis, for example, the use of marble has been successfully used, in a very modern, minimalist, style of design. On the other hand marble ordains columns, walls, and floors of the Minnesota State Capital whose dome is similar to that of St. Peter’s Basilica by Michelangelo, and can unmistakably be characterized as classical design.

In homes, marble can be used quite simply on columns, pillars and floors. However, with a little creativity and proper interior design, the use of faux marble may be used for the following:

Click on any of the samples to see details and explainations about each one.

Trompe l'oeil : Faux Marbles : Patterns & Stenciling : Faux Leather : Decorative Plasters : Texture Plasters : Patinas

If you are looking for a professional decorative painter for your home or commercial project, please do not hesitate to call 952-270-6141 or complete our online consultation form.