The appeal of faux finish concrete is obvious if you’ve spent any time in spaces that have been enhanced with it.
When manipulated by specialists, this material can be chameleon-like in its ability to mimic all sorts of other surfaces. In turn, this gives designers more flexibility in terms of how they handle their remodeling efforts.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in using yourself, take a look at the following ideas for how faux finish concrete can be put to work indoors as well as out, and take inspiration from what comes next.
Marble Luxury: How to Create a High-End Look with Budget-Friendly Finishes on Walls
Amazingly, it’s possible to achieve the luxurious look of marble without breaking the bank by utilizing faux finish concrete. You can transform any room into an elegant space that looks like it was taken straight out of an upscale hotel.
You can take your pick of different color combinations, whether you want to opt for a subtler, neutral marble-effect finish, or one that’s deliberately chosen to stand out and grab the attention of anyone who enters.
After installation is complete, add sealant for extra protection against wear and tear, as well as easy maintenance moving forward. Now you have a chic interior fit for royalty.
Old World Elegance: Achieving an Antique Feel with a Stone Effect Faux Finish on Patios and Basements
Another budget-friendly option with faux finish concrete allows you to recreate the look of stone without paying top dollar.
All sorts of effects can be achieved, typically with stamping to create a consistent yet realistic patina that emulates real stone slabs or even cobbles, but without the eye-watering price point.
Sealing this concrete once finished is also essential, especially if you’re using it in outdoor areas, or in basements where the ingress of moisture is something to be aware of as a potential problem.
Any concerns about the durability and suitability of faux finish concrete need to be dealt with by a qualified engineer or surveyor, so don’t skimp on getting professional advice before you push ahead with this type of project.
Water Features: Add An Extra Dimension to Outdoor Areas
In terms of applying faux finish concrete to patios, don’t forget about the opportunities it affords not only in terms of covering flat surfaces, but also being used to create 3D features which will be a real talking point.
One great example is the use of sculpted concrete in the creation of water features. You can get experts involved to conjure up realistic-looking assemblages of stones, from which a babbling brook of endlessly looping liquid flows.
The advantage here, aside from the aforementioned affordability, is that you can get a single waterscape that looks like it’s made up of multiple rocks, but doesn’t suffer from the instability that this would otherwise bring.
Speaking of affordability, if you’re thinking of refinancing your home in order to pay for any faux concrete finish updates, then it’s important to calculate your mortgage payment changes after making the switch. That way, you can ensure that you aren’t overstretching yourself, or overspending on a budget of this project.
Stencilling: Even More Creativity to Tap Into
Some specialist concrete artists are able to take this raw material and use a combination of stencils and staining to give a unique twist to what you’d normally expect of a permanent flooring surface.
For instance, if you’ve got a patio space that you want to be more than just a plain vanilla place to spend time, then you could consider getting a rug stenciled into it. This will let you bring the warmth and comfort of a traditional living room into an outdoor area that’s not usually associated with this type of aesthetic.
Stenciling and staining can be combined to create all sorts of other finishes with concrete, so no matter what look you’re going for, there’s a solution out there to match it.
Wood Effect Finish: All the Appeal with None of the Downsides
Wood is a natural material which plenty of people prefer to have in their homes, chiefly because of how it looks and feels. The intricacy of the grain patterns, along with the variety of surface finishes that can be achieved, from rough and ready to smooth and supple, make wood an almost irreplaceable option.
However, where it falls short is in terms of its longevity. Time takes its toll on even the sturdiest of wood varieties, and so even the costliest timber has a time limit on it.
The good news is that faux finish concrete once again rides to the rescue, with stamping allowing for a wood-effect finish to be added to walls and floors as needed.
This is such a convincing approach that even if you get right up close, you will struggle to tell the difference between stamped concrete and real wood. Only the telltale temperature difference will give it away, which is, of course, something you might want to solve with under-floor heating.
The hardiness of concrete will give it the edge over any wood equivalent, so it’s an investment you can make confidently when looking at the long-term value it offers.
Replicating Landscapes: More Fabulously Inventive Options
Last of all, we need to talk about how concrete flooring can be finished to look like real-life landscapes. We’re not just talking about stones and wooden boards here, but entire valleys, verdant canyons, lush rivers, and even swooping glaciers.
Once again, this comes down to the scope of the project and the availability of talented artists who work in this medium. But with the right combination of experts and materials, concrete can be stained and manipulated to either reflect the landscape surrounding the property, or to contrast with it, all while being just as hard-wearing and low-maintenance as you’d expect.
The Bottom Line
The main thing to take away is that with faux finish concrete, you really are not limited in terms of what you can do. So let your imagination fly free, and see what you can achieve.
