• Faux painting can make your walls look like marble.brush on marble image by Vladislav Gajic from Fotolia.com
  
  Oftentimes the wall space in a kitchen is taken up with cabinets, doorways and windows. You may be able to paint a dramatic faux finish on your kitchen walls, and because it will be broken up by other elements, it can be a subtle enhancement to the aesthetic of your kitchen. You can faux paint your whole kitchen, an accent wall or just the wall above your counter top.
  
  

Faux Marble or Granite

• A faux marble or granite effect is a little tricky for the first-time faux painter, so you should probably practice on some scrap boards or try out your technique in a less-used part of your home first. However, it is a warm, dramatic look and worth the effort. Choose colors that complement other furnishings such as your cabinets and your counter tops. This faux is tricky to pull off if your counter tops are real marble or granite, because in contrast it can look fake. It works best with light wood or white cabinets and neutral counter tops. There are many techniques, but basically two or three layers of different colored paint are applied with a special roller to get the natural look of stone. Bring it to life by veining it with an artist's brush.
  
  

Venetian Walls

• Get the look of sun-washed Venetian plaster walls without the work of applying several layers of messy plaster. Roll the walls with a light or mid-toned sunny, warm color as your base. Once it's dry, mix a darker version of the color with some glaze for a translucent effect. Apply the glaze mixture to the walls with a brush, using random, swirling brush-strokes. This is a relatively easy faux technique and looks good in a wide range of colors.
  
  

Accent Walls

• If you're hesitant to have a completely faux painted kitchen, consider a faux accent wall. Choose a wall that frames an attractive design element, and one with a dynamic or interesting shape. The wall around a doorway or window with a pretty view is a good choice. Another option is the area around a dining room bay window or a transition wall to the family room, or even the half-wall under a bar. Choose a simple color-wash or Venetian glaze faux finish, or go for drama with marble, stripes or metallic paint.
  
  

Borders

• Paint a border around the top of the wall or over doorways and windows. If you're handy with a brush, free-form ivy or flowers in colors that pick up on other kitchen design elements. Trail them onto the ceiling for some whimsy. If you're not confident of your abilities, pick up some stencils that are widely available in craft stores.
  
  

Smaller Accents

• Paint faux bricks or a tile finish on the wall between the counter tops and upper cabinets for the effect of a backsplash without the cost. This may not be as difficult as you may expect. Paint a base coat with a neutral gray or tan. Use a sponge trimmed to the shape of bricks or tiles dipped into plates of paint and dab on your design.