Faux finishing is a technique where paint is applied to a surface to make that material look like something else. It is often applied to give wood the appearance of stone, sometimes a textured granite, sandstone or limestone, or as in the case pictured here, marble. • In recent years, many do-it-yourself kits came on the market for faux finishing. While these kits — and the ensuing results—opened some fun doors for crafters, creating beautiful and realistic faux finishes is actually a fine art form. When perfectly executed, you can easily find yourself wondering if the surface you're viewing is real marble or not. • The wonderfully finished columns in this picture represent a red-vein, beige marble. (Like all natural stones, marble comes in many colors and vein variations.) The color was chosen to complement the room and contrast appropriately with the sandy-colored ochre walls. Though beautiful on their own, once marbleized, these columns take on a new personality as architectural elements in this space. • Painting a faux finish on surfaces can add a layer of texture that might otherwise be missing from a room's decor, and when used sparingly and appropriately it can add richness without going to the expense of using the actual stone. And a perfectly faux-finished piece should never be considered "a fake." The finished article actually becomes a one-of-a-kind piece of art in its own right. Scott Scherschel and Chip Vogel are designers with Interior Spaces Inc. If you have a design question for Interior Spaces, email your question with a picture to info@intspacesinc.com. A solution could be used in a future article.