Lusting after exposed brick walls or a ceiling punctuated with rustic wood beams? Here’s an idea: Fake it.
Decorative architectural accents such as imitation stone countertops and hardboard panels of embossed “brick” are increasingly popular solutions in home renovations. To some, this might seem at odds with the larger design movement toward organic materials and artisan objects, but plenty of designers and DIY bloggers see nothing wrong with going faux.
Their motto is simple: What you lose in integrity, you make up for in savings, and these days, most folks can’t tell the difference.
Erin Souder, who runs the design blog and online store Earnest Home Co., redid her kitchen counter for $30 by painting a slab of butcher block that she had in her garage. The project was such a success that her “very discerning” mother-in-law mistook it for real marble. “That, my friends, is a win,” she wrote. Two years later, Souder says the counter has far exceeded her expectations.