Glossary of paint terms

Faux Finish: Faux is french for "forgery". Shannon can make almost any mundane material look like priceless marble or granite.

Faux textured wall treatments: The best way to warm up a wall subtly with a cloud-like softness. Unlike wallpaper, colors and textures are completely customizeable and there are no seams.

Tromp l'oeil: another french phrase, loosely translated, means "trick the eye". It's the art of creating architectural elements that are painted to look real and dimensional, on a flat surface.

Mural: A picture painted directly on a wall. The painting is part of the wall, not just hung on it.

Fresco: An ancient Italian technique of painting into "fresh" wet plaster, so the pigments actually become embedded into the plaster when it hardens. The most famous example of course, is Michaelangelo"s Sistine Chapel. It's like a mural on steroids.