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Linda Christensen is just like me. She LOVES columns! There is something stately about them...something sort of regal that reminds us of ancient Italy or Greece. They are an architectural element that accomplishes a sense of division, a sense of grandeur and elegance.

The wall behind Linda's sofa needed something more grand than just a framed painting and a couple of sconces. Something larger, that would also pull the colors of the room together in a new and exciting way.

Linda chose to use our Raised Plaster Life-sized Columns stencil and joint compound to create two very large and detailed columns at the outer edges of the wall.

Because they aren't simply painted, but rather, sticking out from the wall because of the joint compound, she found that they looked almost "real".

She painted them with a sponging of gray glaze and allowed the paint mixture to settle in to the crevices of the column top design which brought out more of it's detail.

She did a lovely job and I'm terribly impressed with how it seems to really draw the eye toward the painting even more.

Designers Tip:

Joint compound (used to stencil with) can easily be pre-tinted with deeply colored craft paints, stucco or concrete colorings or universal tins to make the coloring job easier and prevent you from having to go back and paint them once dry. If you want even more detail, use translucent wall glaze mixed with a darker version of your main color and brush over the detail in the design then wipe away the excess with an old terry towel.

The darker paint will settle in to the recesses to create deeper shadows and an even stronger contrast between the high and low points in the design.