A faux finisher creates painted walls, ceilings, floors and/or furniture to look like natural materials such as stone and marble. Faux finishers may work in residential homes or commercial spaces. They may be self-employed or be hired by an interior decorating company. A professional faux finisher must perfect his or her techniques before offering painting services to clients.
Keeping up on popular painting techniques is a main part of a faux finisher's job. He or she must always make sure the paint finishes look realistic as well as beautiful. For example, cobblestone faux finishes should resemble the real, rugged brown stones down to the textured detail and varied colors. Marble faux finishes will look quite different; the finisher must be skilled in applying lines of paint in cool colors to resemble the expensive stone.
Faux finishers with their own businesses must advertise their company through local newspapers or other publications to get noticed by their target market. Their typical market is made up of homeowners who want to add painted finishes to their walls or floors. A faux finisher with his or her own small business will often have a website with photographs of client projects so prospective customers can view work samples.
Communicating with prospective clients by telephone or email is a task faux finishers with their own companies must do regularly to stay in business. They must also not only learn what types of paint finishes and colors are most in demand by their customers, but be able to come up with original ideas to suit each home and homeowner. If the customer wants to hire the faux finisher, an agreement as to the payment schedule and total amount is made. Faux painters have to schedule the projects during times that work best for the homeowners.
Many faux finishers with their own businesses have to do not only the painting but related tasks such as planning projects and purchasing supplies. A faux finisher may need to interview and hire assistants to help complete client painting projects. Depending on whether or not they have business partners, they may have to do administrative tasks such as payroll and filing taxes. A professional faux finisher may attend workshops or craft shows as a way to meet others in the business and market his or her services to new clients. Some faux finishes may give lessons to the public, but many just work on client homes on their own or with helpers they hire.