How to tackle the crackle

It's all very well having walls, items of furniture and feature architectural highlights as a flat, albeit attractive, colour. 

However, sometimes a solid, consistent colour just isn't the right choice. If you are the kind of person who finds themselves wanting for more, perhaps it's time to investigate the characterful and interesting look of crackle paint.

Crackle

Though crackling, damaged paint may look poorly maintained to some, when used in a particular way it can give whatever it's painted onto a unique sense of history.

Generally, crackle paint, such as Resene Crackle, is applied between two layers of contrasting colours, meaning the bottom colour shows through intricate cracks as they appear. These cracks can be long, flowing and wide, or small, random and intensely detailed. 

Interior designers and other paint specialists often use crackle paint on smaller wooden surfaces such as items of furniture, picture frames and so on. These surfaces are easier to paint, as it's hard to get an even look on larger areas.

In your own home, consider using crackle paint on your architectural highlights as well, if the look suits your theme. Beams, visible struts, decorative designs and other three-dimensional wooden surfaces look great when they are highlighted in this type of paint. Imagine if the floral design around your old fireplace looked crackled? Or if the beams in your industrial-themed home appeared to have years of wear, but were actually very specifically designed.

Using different methods of application changes the design of the cracks, too. For example, if you were to use a standard paint brush and apply the topcoat paint lengthways, you will find that the cracks appear to flow in a similar direction and are larger in size.

Using a porous material such as a sea sponge, however, will bring about much smaller, more interesting patterns that would be nearly impossible to replicate by human hand.

So do you want these unique stylings in your own home? Consider utilising a little Resene Crackle when you're next redecorating.

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