Creative Faux Panels

As we mentioned in our April 2nd post, our faux wood panels were featured on the April 4th episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover – building a new home for the Beach family

The  Rustic Barn Wood panels were used to create wainscoting in the son’s “Tree Fort Room”. Browse through the Tree Fort room photos and take a peek at the virtual tour of the finished house – you’ll see our faux wood panels, together with Timber Planks from our sister company, Faux Wood Beams, that helped create this fanciful, “Boys Only!” inspired room.

Click on the image to see more
photos of the Tree Fort Room

Click on the image to the take the
Beach Family house tour

Garden walls can be a great addition to your home’s property – whether you want to line the entire perimeter, surround a little sitting area or just add a stand-alone accent.

This wall made with Stacked Stone Tudor faux paneling nicely curves into the natural formation of property’s slope, it almost looks like it just happened to form there by itself.

What’s a garden without a little watering? This photo shows an exterior wall with Random Rock panels in Desert Buff – installed with an added twist. A little water spout/fountain hangs off the wall for a beautiful final touch. For more water design ideas, see our other blog posts “And the Fauxny Award Goes To…” and “Spring Spruce-Up Series: Garden Fountains and Ponds”

These wall fences with Kentucky Gray Drystack offers the homeowners privacy and blends very nicely with the home’s exterior and the surrounding foliage. But with its pleasing coloring it doesn’t say “go away” either.

Whichever style you choose, try adding a garden wall this spring – good walls make for happy homeowners!

Entrance with Nailon Stone in Glacier White

There are two towns in the area where I live that are about six miles away from each other, yet virtually a universe apart when it comes to their building aesthetic. One of them is your classic New England village, with stately old whaling captain houses – lots of white wood and black shutters. The other is well…not. The majority of the town is covered in little summer cottages and restaurants that are every bright color you could imagine, usually in the pink and purple families. We’re not talking understated lavenders and roses here…

Exterior with Glacier White Nailon Stone

So shocking magenta or violet may not be your cup of tea, but the average white wood house isn’t really your bag either. You might want to consider the look of white brick or stone. White looks good with everything, no matter what your landscaping or surrounding areas look like, yet the texture can give your house that little something extra. And what a more perfect time to spiffy up your home’s exterior than spring?

Luckily faux panels are super-easy to clean, and if after awhile you feel like a change, they easily can be painted. You just might want to avoid that can of Pepto-Bismol pink.

Colonial White Nailon Brick

A little tradition is starting here at the Faux Panels blog. Most of the photos of finished projects that are sent by our customers are beautiful, but once in awhile I see one that particularly tickles me as an ingenious use of the paneling.

This week the “Fauxny Award” is given to this striking patio couch, trimmed with Oxford Stacked Stone panels in Light Tan. The outdoor sofa-style seat was created by the Featherlyte Outdoor Furniture Company of Knoxville, TN and is a beautiful addition to our Spring Spruce-Up series.

This isn’t your boring old patio furniture. The paneling blends in nicely with the surrounding scenery and looks very cool and sophisticated. I can just see myself laying out on a fine spring day with a good book, the envy of my neighbors as they covet my patio seat. Well done!

It’s been a beautiful, sunny week. The daffodils and crocuses are all starting to peek out and the birds are getting louder every day. Nothing is better than all these sights and sounds – promising longer days spent in the garden or backyard.

These kinds of days really get me pumped up with ideas on how to get the outside of the house ready to enjoy spring and the summer to come. After being cooped up in the house all winter, I’m seriously ready for some fresh air!

With work and kids and day-to-day life, it’s amazing how fast your yard can start to look neglected. For anyone who owns a home, the house’s exterior is a constant work-in-progress, especially if you live in a four-season area. Raking, weeding and lawn mowing are the necessary evils – but it’s always nice to mix it up with a fun DIY project in addition to the more boring maintenance jobs.

Beautiful idea! A water/rock fountain installed in a patio area, surrounded by
Regency Random Rock faux paneling.

Little garden ponds or fountains can add a really nice accent to your garden, deck or porch – whether you’re aiming for that serene, Zen feel of a still-water pond, or prefer the pleasant murmur of water trickling out of a fountain.

Before you start, make sure to pick the right location – especially if you’re going for the pond. You don’t want to position it right under a tree and then spend the entire summer picking out leaves or other debris.

Another thing you may want to consider for your pond is adding some fish. A bunch of goldfish or koi swimming around can create a charming effect. Goldfish in particular can keep the mosquito population down – a nice bonus especially when you’re hosting an outdoor dinner party. If you decide to add fish, you may want to consider adding a water pump. Moving water provides more oxygen than still water.

If you’ve decided on a fountain, try putting some rocks on the bottom, as in the picture shown above. The water hitting them will make an even nicer trickle-y noise, and acclimatize the fountain to the surrounding nature. Store-bought rock in the same color can create a harmonious, uniform look. If you prefer a more rustic appearance and don’t want to spend the money, walk along the local shoreline or in the nearby woods with a sand bucket. After a few evening strolls, you’ll accumulate a nice collection of multi-colored stones of different shapes and sizes.

For another water-inspired idea, visit our post “And the Fauxny Award Goes To…”

Happy Spring!

Adding on to your house gives you more storage and living space while improving the value of your home. Anyone who has undertaken this kind of project knows that making the addition’s exterior blend with the rest of the house is super important. Otherwise you’ll end up with a patchwork monstrosity that will have your friends calling Ty Pennington and his crew for an Extreme Makeover rescue. Don’t be a DIY disaster!

Things to consider before you begin your addition:

• The materials on your current home’s exterior may no longer be available or prove too costly, especially on older homes. You may need to get creative on finding a similar-looking alternative.

• Your home’s current siding has most likely taken a beating over the years from various types of weather and climate. Keep this in mind when you’re selecting a color for the addition. Nice and bright probably won’t mesh well.

• There may be sections of the addition that are trickier to side than others. Be certain when choosing your materials that it can be relatively easy to install in ALL areas.

A good example of this conundrum is our customer’s addition to his existing brick building. According to Paul Reeves from Bethel, OH, installing real brick or rock in the space above the roof of the addition would have been logistically difficult. I would agree that schlepping heavy bricks or rock up a ladder and installing them above that sloped roof top would be precarious at best, not to mention costly.

Before

Luckily Paul was able to find a solution with forty-two of our Random Rock Potomac faux panels. Take a look at the final result photos below. We think they look great!

After - Close Up View

After - Full View

Many of us are looking forward to leaving the doldrums of winter behind and lifting our faces up to the promise of spring. With the new season comes inspiration for new design projects. What place is better to start than your own home?

Norwich Colorado Stacked Stone Desert Sand

The list of remodeling ideas in your mind’s eye can sometimes be overwhelming. Should we rescue the kitchen from its tacky 1970′s wallpaper and formica? Does the fireplace look crumbly and uninspired? How can I make the patio be more inviting for my guests?

We’re excited for spring’s arrival and to see all the new ideas and projects our customers come up with. To help them on their quest, we’ve stocked up on some new panel styles from the Norwich line. As we’ve said before, seeing homeowners’ final results with our paneling is the best part of the job.

We have samples of all the Norwich styles and colors to help pick out the best one for you. Go get some spring in your step…and your walls.