Entryway Makeover- Part 2 - Homeonarborpointe

Happy holidays, dear friends! I hope you are enjoying the season! A few weeks ago, I shared the first project of my entryway makeover. I have three projects planned for this space and each one has me super excited! Part two was originally part three, but as I planned the trim work needed for part two, I decided part two would be better done last. Do you follow me?! Part two is all about making faux bricks! Join me today as I share our entryway makeover- part 2!

For part one, I hung board and batten throughout our foyer. Truly one of my most favorite projects ever! The project was challenging and at points, made me want to quit- but I hung in there and the finished product still has me swooning. Just look!

Parts two and three involve the wall adjacent to this one with the board and batten.

Disclaimer: For your convenience, I have included some affiliate links. This simply means if you click on one and make a purchase, I might receive a small commission, but do not worry… you will not pay a dime more. I only endorse products I use and love.

A Makeover Journey of Faux Bricks Begins!

For part two, I am creating a faux brick accent wall around the archway that separates this space from our family room. You can see the archway here:

In the distance, can you see the other faux brick accent wall I created? I think it will look cool to have two walls with similar texture complimenting one another! Creating faux bricks is super easy, and I would be lying if I said it was not fun. Faux brick provides great texture and the project moves so quick- something unique for my type of DIYs!

So here is the archway before:

Step One for our Faux Bricks Entryway Makeover- Part Two

So right out of the gate, this project presents a challenge for me! I know I want shiplap to run the length of the wall and butt right up against the brick. It’s there- it’s in my mind- I promise! I have picked out all of the materials I will be using and I plan to use a quarter round piece of trim between the shiplap and faux brick. My challenge is where should the shiplap end and the brick begin?

That weird column is the challenge. It sits less than four inches from the wall- leaving very little space to work behind. I want the seam between the two textures to fall behind the column and out of sight, but there is no way I can angle my nail gun to hang the quarter round behind it. So I need it just to end at the edge of either side.

Initially, I begin taping the bricks, creating the seam almost to the left edge of the column. Good, I am going with that now. But as I begin to make the individual bricks, they seem big and awkward and it is a pain checking if they are level with the big column in the way. Ugh! Time to rethink where the bricks really should end.

Off goes the tape.

I start over, making the end of the bricks much closer to the arch. It will have to work, my friends!

Step Two for our Faux Bricks Entryway Makeover- Part Two

I like to create the bricks in sections, as opposed to doing the whole wall at once. I brick the first section with tape. Here is my first section taped off:

So friends, this is when I start to get excited- when I can see my vision begin to take shape!

I tape off the opposite side just the same as the first side. Next comes the fun- and oh so messy- part! Apply the joint compound all over the bricks. Make sure you have really good coverage. And do no worry about making it smooth- the bumpy look can be cool on bricks!

I did not do the best job taking pictures during this part. Click here to see my first tutorial for this step!

Step Three for our Entryway Makeover- Part Two

Once you remove the tape, I recommend letting the joint compound dry overnight before you begin painting it. Here is a shot a couple steps later: You can see I started painting some of the brick, while taping off another section to create more bricks.

My joint compound is old and a bit dried out, so I added a tablespoon of water to the tub. It makes the compound a bit runny- but since I just have a small space left to do, I roll with it! When you look at the picture above, it looks like there is a large, weird gap at the top. I promise it is just the thinned compound mixture giving the appearance of a gap. Once it is painted, it will be fine!

Want to see other home DIY projects from Home on Arbor Pointe? Be sure to check out these projects!

Step Four for our Entryway Makeover- Part Two

Here is a picture of all of the brick painted brown:

Now, you can leave the faux bricks as is and it would look amazing. However, my personal taste is a bit softer. I am going to whitewash the brick a bit to give it a more neutral appearance.

To whitewash the brick, I pour about 1/2 cup of white paint into a plastic cup. I add a couple teaspoons of water and stir. This part is really done to your taste; if you want your bricks to be more white, use less water. If you want more of a light dusting of white on your bricks, add more water.

The best way to apply the whitewash is with an old rag or sock. I test my mixture on one brick to see if it gives the coverage I want. It works for me! I whitewash all of the bricks!

Click here to see how I made my backsplash in my kitchen using this process!

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Best practice tips for when you make faux bricks:

Make sure you use one inch masking tape or bigger. Using too small a size will cause the bricks to look unnatural.

Remove the masking tape while the joint compound is wet. Trust me, your bricks will not lose shape!

And this finishes part two of my entryway makeover!

Be sure to check back on part three of my entryway makeover… I do faux shiplap! Have you tried hanging shiplap yet? I did my first faux shiplap wall this summer in my kitchen.

Here is a picture of the wall before the shiplap was hung:

One of the easiest, cheapest projects I have done! Click here for a step by step tutorial on how I did it!