Pearl paint for walls: fashion trends in interior decoration

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

Silk wall covering

Despite the fact that the wallpaper pretty firmly holds its consumer niche, designers' preferences are increasingly given to seamless coatings, which are easier to apply and last longer. One of the options for such coatings is mother-of-pearl paint for walls and ceilings, focused on creating the effects of silk and velvet, but used even in imitations of concrete texture.

What is this material, how is it applied, and what is its cost? The video in this article, coupled with the material presented in it, will provide answers to many questions that interest you.

Due to what the pearlescent effect is obtained

We all know that natural mother of pearl is extracted from oyster shells. But his presence in finishing paints would have made production too expensive - so this option is used mainly in the cosmetics industry.

Pigments for paints

Pearlescent pigment for paint is made of mica and glass, which, due to the refraction of light in their particles, also create the effect of rainbow shine. On natural mica, ordinary opaque nacre is obtained. On artificial mica, it is translucent - and on glass, it is completely transparent.

• These pigments, which are microscopic plates or granules, are distinguished by their characteristic gloss and brightness. Since the materials from which they are made have a high refractive index, and creates a visual effect of depth.
• When the paint needs to give a metallic sheen, aluminum or bronze powder is used as a pigment. To obtain such as the color pigments shown in the photo below, technologies are used to deposit mica particles on iron oxide and titanium.
• Not only the shade obtained, but also the degree of hiding power and gloss depends on the size of the particles and the number of their layers. The smaller the particles, the less they shine, but at the same time, better cover the surface.

Note! Such pigments are non-toxic and absolutely safe, resistant to ultraviolet, chemical and thermal influences, do not conduct electricity. They are used for coloring leathers and plastics, in printing printing, for decorating wallpapers. They are suitable for all types of coatings.

• If desired, you can take absolutely any paint: water, oil, alkyd paint - and add dry pigment to it as you wish.
• This will give the paint not only the desired effect, but also give it a certain shade. Moreover, pigment can be added not only to paint, but also to plaster or wax.
• But when painting the premises, they often use ready-made compounds - and they are usually tinted at the choice of the consumer.
• Usually, wall paint with a mother-of-pearl effect is offered by the manufacturer in only three basic colors: pearls, silver and gold.

This makes it possible for a person to select the desired color to tint the composition on their own - or use this catalog tinting service, which is offered today by almost all specialized trading companies.

Mother of pearl paints

Interior painting is carried out mainly with water-dispersion paints. Accordingly, decorative paint with nacre is nothing more than a properly tinted emulsion of water.

In general, aqueous emulsions are made on completely different bases. When it comes to paints, PVA and PVC thermoplastics are used in production, as well as artificial rubbers: butadiene styrene, siloxane, united by one general term “latex”.

Application features

Pearlescent wall paints are most often made on the basis of acrylic resin, since this type of binder is used precisely in the manufacture of interior coatings. They are completely non-toxic, dry quickly, and most importantly, they have a certain plasticity, which allows you to work with paint almost the same as with textured plaster.

By the way, complete with some decorative plastersoriented to the creation of antique coatings, as well as imitating the texture of marble, silk, velvet, there is also a paint with a pearlescent effect. Estimated price - 1800 rubles. for 1 kg. The task of such a paint is to emphasize the beauty of the relief created on the surface.

So:

• By the way, such paint can be applied not only to plaster screeds, but also to base surfaces: concrete, brickwork, wood. It can cover wallpaper for painting, and even plastic sheathing.
• The effect obtained depends on the material used to obtain the mother of pearl, as well as the fraction of its particles. And they can be large enough to form a granular relief on the surface.
• Presented above is Italian TICIANA paint based on glass microspheres, which, along with mica, is used to achieve a radiant effect. It forms a transparent shimmering under the rays of light with all the colors of the rainbow, which leaves the basic color and pattern in sight.

But if you wish, you can add traditional nacre to it, any color. The paint itself is quite viscous, with a rough dispersion, which allows you to create a coating with the effect of glowing splashes or drops.

Create coverage

When using ready-made decorative paints, painting with mother-of-pearl do-it-yourself does not constitute a particular problem. The most important thing here is the high-quality preparation of the base, which should be leveled, well sanded, and saturated with deep penetration soil. In general, this is nothing new - in the same way the surface is prepared for any painting and wallpapering.

As for the methods of applying the paint, its drying time, consumption and other nuances, there is a manufacturer’s manual for this, which must be carefully read, and a video that is advisable to watch before starting work.

Tools

Every manufacturer decorative paints, offers them soil and color, and basic paints that are applied under the mother of pearl. You just need to familiarize yourself with the product line of the selected manufacturer, and the application technology. And yet, you should stock up with the necessary tools - and you can get to work.

Tools	Operations in progress
Rollers and baths	The main tool for applying paints is the roller. But you will have to not only apply nacre, but also perform priming and basic staining. Therefore, at least three rollers are needed: fur for soil, velor for base paint, and foam for viscous pearl coating. You may need a textured roller - but it already depends on what kind of relief will be performed.
Brush	This brush is specially designed for applying decorative coatings.
Putty knife	Since the pearlescent composition is quite viscous, it is applied to the trowel with a spatula. The most suitable tool blade width is 80 mm.It is not necessary to use a metal spatula - a plastic one is also suitable.
Plastic trowel	Plastic or stainless Venetian trowel, is necessary for applying a viscous pearlescent composition. She, instead of a textured roller, can serve as a tool for decorating the surface.
Masking tape	Using masking tape, the area to be painted is limited in cases where the paint is applied not over the entire area of ​​the wall, but in fragments.

Paint application

Decoration of a leveled and primed wall begins with the application of a base layer of acrylic paint tinted in the desired shade. Best of all, if the primer, base and decor are from the same manufacturer.

Let's say you prefer Italian paint TICIANA. Here is an example of this manufacturer, and we will consider the process of decorating walls. In its product line there is a universal MIX color scheme, with which you can paint and paint yourself (seeHow to paint: choose an option), and decorative coating.

So:

• As a base for a layer of nacre, it is advisable to use TICIANA interior water-dispersible paints “washable” or “moisture-proof” in rooms — although there are other options.
• The paint is pre-tinted in the main color, as close as possible to the shade of the decorative coating, and applied in two layers.
• It dries 6-8 hours, after which it can be taken for decor. The composition shown in the photo below is different from the paint with glass microspheres, which was mentioned at the beginning of the article.
• This coating is made on the basis of natural mica, and therefore not transparent, but matte, and is not designed for radiant shine, but for obtaining the effect of velvet.

White mother of pearl: paint for wall decor

• The decorative coating of the TICIANA line can be used in its pure form - that is, it will be either silver or golden mother of pearl.
• But it can be tinted in the same shade as on the base coat, but a tone lighter. In this case, the main thing is to choose the right shade of mother of pearl.
• Suppose you want the main color to be blue or gray - then the mother of pearl should be silver.
• If the base is yellow, or something from a brown gamut, then for the best combination you need only golden mother of pearl.

Advice! When using a roller, the paint can be diluted about 10% with water. When using a spray gun, more water is added - up to 40%. If not diluted at all, it is more convenient to work with a trowel, since the paint has a viscous consistency.

• The decorative composition is also applied twice. The first time - in a continuous layer, using a trowel or roller with a short pile.
• It takes only 30-40 minutes to dry the first layer, after which you can proceed to the second layer, which is already applied in fragments.
• Alternatively, a small amount of pearl mass is superimposed on the trowel, and distributed in diagonal parallel stripes along the wall.
• To complete the drawing, you can use a sponge, applying dot prints on the coating, or a textured roller, which can be walked over the entire surface.
• Before the composition dries, the applied strokes or strokes are slightly smoothed with a trowel in different directions.

The picture will be more expressive if the paint for the second layer is a tone or two lighter. You can just take a small portion of the tinted composition, and dilute it in half with uncolored. On average, pearlescent paint consumes 200 ml / m2 of the decorated surface.