A new door that doesn't match old trim
A replacement door or closet door stands out as plain paint against stained oak or chestnut trim, and wood graining can tie it back into the room.
Specialty & Historic in Quincy
Faux and decorative finishes painted by hand in Quincy homes
A replacement door that doesn't match the oak trim, a dining room that feels plain or a mantel that needs character are all problems a skilled faux finish can solve without new millwork.
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- Walk-throughs across Norfolk County
- Specialty & Historic
$7.15 to $20.35Typical per sq ft in Quincy. The walk-through sets your number.
Brands we work with: Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, California Paints, Farrow & Ball, PPG, Fine Paints of Europe, Cabot, Zinsser, York Wallcoverings, Thibaut, Schumacher, Phillip Jeffries, Graham & Brown, Roman.
Quick answer
Faux and decorative finishes in Quincy include glazing, strie dragging, wood graining, marbling and color washing, built by hand over a sealed base coat with tinted glazes and specialty brushes, then protected with a clear topcoat. Typical ranges run about $7.15 to $20.35 per square foot, or more for fine graining on doors, and the walk-through sets the real number.
What faux & decorative finishes covers with us
Decorative painting was common in the houses Quincy and its neighbors were built with. Victorian owners grained pine doors to look like oak or mahogany, marbled mantels and baseboards, and glazed walls in hallways and parlors. Many of those finishes have been painted over, and new parts added in later renovations often don't match the old woodwork around them.
Our painters do this work by hand, with brushes, combs, rags and tinted glazes. A good faux finish starts with a careful base coat, uses glazes slow enough to work, and builds the effect in layers. We test on sample boards first, so you can see the finish in your room's light before it goes on the wall or woodwork.
How do glazing and strie create depth on plain walls?
Glazing starts with a sound, smooth wall painted in a satin or eggshell base coat, which lets the glaze move instead of soaking in. We mix a translucent glaze with tinted paint and roll or brush it on in manageable sections, then work it with rags, sponges or a softening brush to break up the color. The base shows through in places, giving the wall a soft, layered look.
Strie is a more controlled glaze. After the glaze goes on, we drag a long, stiff strie brush straight down the wall in one continuous pass, leaving fine vertical lines that look like linen or silk. It needs two painters on taller walls: one rolling glaze ahead, one dragging behind before it sets.
- Satin or eggshell base coat for glaze movement
- Translucent glaze tinted to the chosen color
- Rag, sponge or softening brush for broken color
- Strie brush dragged in one pass for linen lines
What does wood graining involve, and where is it worth doing?
Wood graining imitates the figure of real wood in paint. It suits a replacement door that has to match original oak or mahogany trim, a radiator cover beside stained woodwork, or a steel door that should look like wood. We start with a base coat matching the lightest tone of the target wood, then apply a darker glaze and work it with graining combs, a rubber rocker for heart grain, and fine brushes for pores and ticks.
A softening brush blends the grain so it doesn't look stamped. Once dry, a second glaze layer can add depth, and the finish gets a clear varnish to match the sheen of nearby woodwork. Good graining is slow, and we always compare it against the real wood in the room.
How do we protect faux finishes so they last in busy rooms?
Glaze layers are thin, and without protection they can scuff or water spot. On walls in low-traffic rooms, a well-cured glaze over a quality base coat is often durable enough. In halls, kitchens and on doors and trim, we add a clear water-based or oil-based topcoat in a sheen chosen to match the surroundings.
Prep matters too. Faux work shows every flaw underneath, so cracks are filled, dents are spot skimmed and woodwork is sanded and primed first. In older Quincy, Milton and Dedham houses, much of that trim and many of those doors carry pre-1978 paint, so sanding is done with lead-safe containment, misting and HEPA cleanup before any decorative layer starts.
How a faux finish job runs from sample board to clear coat
Walk-through and goals
We look at the surfaces, nearby woodwork and the room's light, and talk through which technique fits, from soft glazing to fine wood graining.
Sample boards
We paint sample boards in your colors and chosen technique, so you can see them in your room and approve one before work starts.
Protect and prep
The room is protected, surfaces are repaired and sanded, lead-safe practices are used on old painted trim, and everything is primed.
Base coat
A satin or eggshell base coat goes on and dries fully, giving the glaze a smooth, even surface that lets it move and blend.
Glaze and technique layers
Glazes are applied and worked with rags, strie brushes, graining combs or feathers, building the effect in one or more layers.
Clear coat and review
A protective topcoat goes on where wear or moisture is expected, and we walk the room with you in daylight and evening light.
What do faux and decorative finishes cost in Quincy?
Typical range in Quincy$7.15 to $20.35per sq ft
This typical range covers prep, base coat, glaze work and topcoat on walls, with simple color washing at the lower end and strie or multi-layer finishes at the upper end. Wood graining on doors and trim is priced per piece. It's a planning figure, and the walk-through sets the real number.
What moves the number
- Technique: rag glazing and color wash are quicker than strie, marbling or graining
- Number of glaze layers needed to reach the look on the sample board
- Surface prep, including repair and lead-safe sanding of old trim
- Whether a protective clear coat is needed for traffic or moisture
- Ceiling height and access, since strie needs a continuous pass top to bottom
Compare every service side by side in our painting and wallpaper cost guide, or call (617) 576-8235 to set a walk-through.
When does a faux or decorative finish make sense in your home?
A plain dining room or hall
Walls in a formal room feel flat, and a glaze, strie or color wash would add depth without the commitment of wallpaper.
A painted mantel or column
A mantel, column or baseboard was once marbled or grained, and you'd like a decorative finish that suits the period of the house.
A restaurant or shop interior
A commercial space wants an aged plaster, leather or metallic look that's durable, cleanable and distinct from standard paint.
Steel doors in an older building
Metal entry or unit doors in a converted building look cold and industrial, and graining can give them a wood look that suits the hallway.
Old faux work showing wear
Original or past decorative finishes are worn, chipped or water stained, and you'd like them restored or redone in a matching technique.
Why decorative finishes fit Quincy's Victorians and Norfolk County's older houses
Decorative painting was everyday work in nineteenth century Massachusetts. In Victorians on Wollaston Hill and around Merrymount, it's common to find pine doors once grained to look like oak, slate mantels painted to look like marble, and stair halls glazed in warm tones. Older Federal and Greek Revival houses in Milton and around Dedham Square sometimes have grained doors and baseboards in their back rooms. Many of these finishes survive under later coats of paint.
Renovation creates the most demand we see. A homeowner in Braintree replaces a damaged door and the new one doesn't match the chestnut trim. A Needham owner opens up a kitchen and needs new trim to blend with old. Graining a new piece to match is often cheaper than finding antique millwork. Restaurants and shops along Hancock Street in Quincy Center also ask for aged plaster and leather looks that read as hand-done.
Where we do faux & decorative finishes
Quincy neighborhoods and nearby towns we cover most often, with ZIP codes:
- Quincy02169
- Wollaston02170
- North Quincy02171
- Squantum02171
- Montclair02171
- Merrymount02169
- Houghs Neck02169
- Adams Shore02169
- West Quincy02169
- South Quincy02169
- Quincy Point02169
- Braintree02184
- Milton02186
- Dedham02026
- Needham02492
- Wellesley02482
- Norwood02062
- Canton02021
- Stoughton02072
- Newton02458
- Natick01760
- Framingham01702
- Waltham02451
- Watertown02472
- Weston02493
Faux & Decorative Finishes questions from Quincy homeowners
Can a faux finish make a new door match the old oak trim in a Wollaston Hill house?
Yes. Wood graining can match a painted or primed door to oak, chestnut, mahogany or other woodwork. We base coat in the wood's lightest tone, then build grain with glazes, combs and brushes, and compare it with the real trim as we work. A clear coat matches the sheen. It's often more practical than finding a matching antique door.
Are faux finishes still used in Quincy and Norfolk County homes?
The heavy sponge-painted walls of past decades have faded, but restrained decorative finishes are still widely used: soft glazes, strie, graining and limewash looks. In older houses, period-appropriate graining and marbling suit the architecture. We'd suggest a sample board in your room to judge it in real light before deciding.
How durable is a glazed faux finish on hallway walls in a busy Quincy family home?
A glaze over a quality satin or eggshell base is durable in most rooms once it's cured. In high-traffic halls, kitchens and children's rooms, we add a clear topcoat to resist scuffs and wiping. Touch-ups on faux finishes are harder than on flat paint, so protecting busy areas is worth it.
Can you restore old faux finishes on a Victorian mantel in Milton or Dedham?
Often. We clean the surface, check how much of the original finish survives, and touch up or rebuild the missing areas using a matching technique. If the old finish is mostly gone, we can redo it in the same style. In pre-1978 houses, any sanding of old paint uses lead-safe containment and HEPA cleanup.
What is a strie faux finish, and which rooms in a Quincy-area house suit it?
Strie is a decorative finish where a tinted glaze is rolled over a base coat, then dragged top to bottom with a long, stiff brush, leaving fine vertical lines that look like linen or silk. It suits dining rooms, studies and halls, and it's best on smooth walls, since bumps interrupt the lines.
How long does a faux finish take for one room in a South Shore home?
A typical room takes two to four days: prep and base coat on the first day or two, then glaze work and any topcoat. Strie and graining take longer than rag glazing. Dry times can stretch in humid South Shore summers, so we plan the schedule with the weather in mind.
Related work we often pair with it
Venetian Plaster & Limewash
Flat paint can look thin in a room with tall ceilings and old plaster, and many owners want walls with real depth, soft movement in the color and a.
How we do itTrim & Door Painting
Baseboards scuffed gray, door edges worn to bare wood, and window casings with drips from five past owners: trim is where an older Quincy house shows.
How we do itHistoric Home Painting
A Victorian on Wollaston Hill or a Federal-era house near Adams Street carries generations of paint, original wood you can't buy off the shelf, and a.
How we do itInterior Painting
Walls that crack again a month after painting, flat paint that scuffs when you wipe it, and old oil layers that peel off in sheets: most Quincy.
How we do itTalk to us about faux & decorative finishes
Our phone is answered around the clock. Tell us about the rooms or the house and we will set a walk-through and a written estimate.