Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls

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Ever wondered how to paint your walls to look like stone? In today’s tutorial, we’ll show you how to paint castle playroom walls to look like medieval rocks.

Learn how to paint faux stone for castle playroom walls in this tutorial. We’ve included photos and links to helpful resources to make it easier for you.

Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls - Kenarry.com

Painting the castle playroom walls is easier than you’d think. The hardest part was figuring out what I wanted it to look like. At first, I wanted the walls to look entirely like stone masonry. I spent some time searching the web for examples and DIY tutorials. I finally found a great tutorial on Renstore.com for how to paint a castle wall. They have the most amazing painted faux stone wall in their Arizona store.

The more I looked at the tutorial for the faux stone wall on Renstore.com, the more I realized how much time it would take to achieve that look for the castle playroom walls. It would certainly take more time than a mother of two small children could invest. I was also concerned that it would be too busy or overpowering in such a small space under the stairs.

I did some more searching and found a similar faux stone painting technique on Krazy 4 Krafts (NOTE: as of January 2016, the Krazy 4 Krafts website no longer exists). Their faux stones looked more like a solid brick wall than a medieval stone castle. While it looked cool, I preferred the uneven natural appearance of the stones in the Renstore.com tutorial. However, as I read the faux stone painting tips on Krazy 4 Krafts, they explained how they used a color wash technique for the base of their stones.

After thinking about it for a while, I decided my approach for our castle playroom walls would combine the two techniques. I would color wash the walls as a whole, but have exposed stone patches like the Renstore.com stones. In my mind, I wanted our castle playroom walls to look like an older medieval castle in a state of disrepair.

How to Paint Faux Stone for Castle Playroom Walls

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What You Need:

  • primer
  • dark gray paint
  • white paint
  • water
  • dark brown paint
  • an old t-shirt or rag
  • paint brushes
  • paint roller
  • medium sized plastic containers with lids
  • chalk
  • plastic shopping bags

Instructions:

1. Read the color wash tutorial. Before you do anything, read the tutorial and tips on Krazy 4 Krafts about how to color wash walls. I’m going to describe what I did as best I can, but at the time I didn’t know I would be blogging so I don’t have pictures of every detail. Their tutorial also includes important tips about taping and preparing your walls. (NOTE: We sincerely apologize. As of January 2016, the Krazy 4 Kraft’s website is no longer online. If you have questions about the color wash technique we used for the castle, please do not hesitate to contact us.)

2. Prime the walls. Use a roller and paint brush to apply primer to the walls and trim. Allow the primer to dry completely.

Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls - Kenarry.com

2. Apply the first layer of paint to the walls. I chose to use the white primer color as the base color for my walls. Pour dark gray paint into a plastic container and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water. Stir to mix the water and paint together.

Cut a t-shirt in half or quarters so it’s a smaller amount of fabric to use. Next, crumple the t-shirt into a wad and dip it in the dark gray watered down paint. Apply the paint to the walls using a circular motion. Don’t worry about making it perfect, but do make sure in this step that you cover the entire wall with dark gray watered down paint. Allow the paint to thoroughly dry.

Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls - Kenarry.com

Tape off the front of the castle spires and apply this same technique to that area as well. You’ll note I painted the blue sky above the castle woodlands before I painted the gray front of the castle spires.

Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls - Kenarry.com

3. Read the tutorial to create faux stones. If you haven’t already, please read through the castle wall painting tutorial on Renstore.com. This is the process used to create the exposed stone patches on our castle walls. Again, I won’t give all the details and tips in this post, but more of a general overview showing what we did.

4. Determine where you want the exposed stone patches. Use chalk to draw the exposed stone patches on the castle playroom walls. You’ll paint around the exposed stone patches when you apply the second layer of color wash to the rest of the castle playroom walls.

5. Apply the second layer of paint to the castle playroom walls. Pour your dark gray paint into a plastic container. Add white paint (I just used the white primer) to lighten the color. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (or more, if it’s your preference) and thoroughly mix.

Use the same technique with a wadded up t-shirt that you used when you applied the first layer of paint. Use a circular motion to apply the second layer of paint to the walls. This time you do not need to make sure you cover the entire wall with the second layer unless you want to. You should also apply the second layer of color wash to the front of the castle, though I don’t have a photo showing that part. Avoid painting any areas where you want to have exposed stone patches. My example photo already shows the exposed stone patches painted. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos that show what it looked like before I added the stone patches.

Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls - Kenarry.com

Allow the paint to thoroughly dry. If it’s not light enough for you after it dries, you can apply a third layer of color wash by adding even more white paint to lighten your dark gray and adding more water to dilute your paint.

6. Paint the exposed stone patches. You do not need to wait for the paint to dry from the previous step before you move on to paint the exposed stone patches on the castle playroom walls. You will use the technique described in the Renstore.com tutorial to paint the faux exposed stone patches. Use the dark gray, white and dark brown paints to create a shadow effect on each stone. Apply each of the colors using paint brushes as described in the tutorial. Before the paint dries, use a scrunched up plastic shopping bag and dab (or pounce up and down as they say in the tutorial) on the wet paint to texturize and create a rough stone appearance.

Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls - Kenarry.com

7. Touch up the mortar. Using a paint brush, apply dark gray paint between the exposed stones to touch up the mortar that may have gotten texturized in the previous step.

Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls - Kenarry.com

If it helps, here’s a photo of the exposed stone patch before and after I touched up the mortar:

Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls - Kenarry.com

I also applied the texturizing faux stone technique to the front of the castle to create a rough stone appearance. I allowed it to thoroughly dry and then removed the painter’s tape.

Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls - Kenarry.com

8. Stand back and admire your work. Your castle playroom walls are finished! You can remove any remaining tape and pat yourself on the back.

This photo shows the various stages of the far back corner of the castle. It’s the part of the castle that goes under the stairs.

Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls - Kenarry.com

This is the back wall of the castle. It’s the largest wall and the most visible. I knew I wanted to add a mirror to be a window like they had in the inspirational garden playroom, so I only put a few exposed stone patches on this wall.

Castle Playroom Walls: How to Paint Faux Stone Walls - Kenarry.com

Next in this series, we’ll share how to paint the woodland mural in front of the castle with animals and trees. If you’d like, you can subscribe to Kenarry to follow along with our castle playroom series over the next few weeks. You’ll get an e-mail in your in-box every time we publish a new castle playroom post, so you don’t miss a thing.

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Previous in the Castle Playroom Series on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry®

Castle Playroom: How to Create A Magical Hideaway for Kids

Castle Playroom: How to Create A Magical Hideaway for Kids - Kenarry.com

Castle Playroom Inspiration: A Whimsical Garden Playroom

Castle Playroom Inspiration: Where We Got the Idea - Kenarry.com

What’s Next?

While you’re here, be sure to check out other kid ideas on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® –

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15 Comments

  1. I wish I could do this! I can’t even draw a stick person so I know I couldn’t do this! Haha, how cool though. I bet the little ones love it.

    1. You would be amazed at what you can do if you set your mind to it. Ultimately, though, the kids won’t notice if you’re not the best artist in the world. They have great imaginations!

  2. What a clever idea, the stone effect, just in a few places like that, looks so effective.
    I did murals of sorts on the kids bedrooms when they were little, a jungle with cartoon animals and a circus, then we moved and I did huge daisies and space (two rooms in each house not daisies and space together!)
    Much more cartoon and less realistic that yours but lots of fun never the less. I totally agree with your comment above, the kids don’t mind if it’s not perfect and if they get to input too it is really fun.

  3. Lucky kids to get a beautiful playroom with faux castle walls. Thanks fo sharing this tutorial I love how you did the walls. Pinned!

  4. This is seriously cute. We have an unfinished basement, and I have been wracking my brain trying to come up with something cute and fun to do to make it kid-play-friendly until we can afford to finish it. Love this!! Glad I found you at the Wednesday Round Up!

    1. Your kids would love this in your basement, Megan. If the walls are cement yet and not drywalled, you’ve already go the “stone” look for the castle walls. I’d love to see what you end up doing. Please come back to share.

  5. This is adorable, Carrie! We have a closet like this, but we need it for storage. You did a wonderful job! 🙂

  6. I absolutely love this. My kids would go crazy over it. Plus it looks fairly simple. I’ll have to try this soon.

    1. Thank you so much. It really is easy once you read through the tutorials I’ve recommended. If you give it a try, send me pictures. I’d love to see how your project turns out.

  7. I decorated my son’s room with a castle theme. I think your play room under the stairs is fantastic. I wish I had your great tutorials when I began decorating with this theme.

    1. I would love to see how your son’s bedroom turned out. I bet he loves it! If you blogged about it, send me the link, please.

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