Hire me and get my goat.

This composite photo shows a feature faux painted wall of (a) clients. When moving, they asked me to replicate this previous wall finish into their new place. Because I dislike doing the same thing twice, I offered to paint something similar yet slightly different - the same faux finish framed up in a panel layout. I offered up this idea to them conditionally, that if they didn't like it, they would get my goat.

So... a favourite customer gets my goat for the time being (although I'm not sure she gets my humour).
ed: I'm clean shaven now. Was starting to look too much like the old goat.

This wall was divided into (three) panels...

Measurements were taken of furniture height and placement before the actual wall layout and painting.

Plaster repairs and patching are underway (above). Previous painters had lazily painted around a wide wall mirror, which left an obvious built-up ridge of paint.

Rather than sanding them out, it's usually best to trowel over previous paint ridges. Sanding off old finishes is messy and possibly hazardous, since older paints were lead-laden. Why expose workers and occupants to a possible lead hazard... or the mercury, cadmium, arsenic etc etc hazards? In any case, even if the surface has been recently painted, chances arer that the top-coat finish will be a latex or some such plastic coating.

Even though these type finishes no longer contain lead, they are nearly impossible to sand because the action of sanding generates local heat, which ultimately clogs up your sandpaper and softens the paint film underneath, which, because it is all now softened up from heat, is prone to scratching and gouging from the dregs of softened paint that have gathered up in big globs on your sandpaper -- which means that after you've successfully sanded and gouged the walls you are trying to improve upon, that they will need to be levelled out by trowel in any case. Did I say that right?

So save yourself the sanding! Unless of course, you want to create the impression of someone working very hard and conscientiously, with all show and not much go.

Wall has been primed and painted. Three panels have been measured off and marked out. Masking with tape and paper is underway. A box fan speeds up drying times. A 2' x 2' sample board leans against wall, awaiting painting.

Finished background is now masked off and protected from spattering. The bottom line of middle panel is stepped up (see below for reason). No need to cover the floor if new carpet is slated to go down.

Plastic poly protects the heat register and lower wall from drips and spatters.

Here is the finished wall of this new livingroom. The couch and end tables will go along here. If these trompe panels don't frame the furniture, June gets to keep my goat.

Just as I hoped, my custom panel design is in proportion with the furniture. The bottom of the middle panel fits the height of couch.

Not another room like it... plus: I get my goat back.

See also: installing crown mouldings.