Suede Follies

Moderator Post: > Ralph Lauren Paint Help by Handyman on 10/27/2004

So heres the deal. this suede paint can vary from can to can. R.L. isn;t the only company who make this stuff. shop around, and make samples. if you want the suede look, darner colors work better. i didd a few walls in red and they don't really capture the effect. also, the first coat is a breeze, just get the paint on the wall, roll it on with that thick bushy roller. the second coat is the key: make sure you do that overlapping "x's" thing. and when you make an x, don't go back over it, just keep painting. most do-it-yourselfers are used to following directions step by step, but remember, theres a little bit of freedom when painting. your technique should be looser wiht the second coat. if you try to get all of your "x" strokes to look the same, its not going to work. you want a random bruch pattern, thi sbrings out the suede look. i've painted several rooms in various colors, and the hardest part for me is always the clean-up. stick to it, and experiment with different brands.
best of luck, and remember, this isn't math class, its closer to art class, so give yourself a little freedom.