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Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. If you re looking for ways to personalize your space and you re ready to go a step further than a simple coat of paint, try faux finishing. Faux, French for false, finishing techniques were developed centuries ago to evoke the feeling of expensive, elegant finishes without the extravagant expense. With just paint, glaze and a few simple tools, you can create the look of marble, leather, malachite, parchment, silk, even gold leaf on walls or furniture. You could even wood-grain a plain white door to look like mahogany. The possibilities are endless, but you ll want to develop your technique on practice boards first. Also, it helps to have a sample or a close-up photograph of the actual material you re imitating to use as a guide. The best tools are the simplest. Start with everyday paint supplies. You ll need an angled 2 nylon brush for cutting in, cotton rags, painter s tape and a good multi-purpose ladder. The tools for faux finishing are often things you already have at home such as a natural sea sponge, cheesecloth, combs, rags and feathers. Your biggest investment will probably be a variety of artist s brushes for veining, stippling, color washing and a badger brush for softening. Most techniques are variations on the same process. First, carefully clean, prep and prime your surface. Then, apply the base color using good-quality latex paint and let it dry completely. Apply a coat of untinted, faux technique glaze mixed with water and latex paint in the color you want. Then, tool it, sponge it, rag it, drag it or blend several colors according to the technique you re going for. Blend with a badger brush to soften any hard lines. Add veins, details or stippling last, and seal with a coat of polyurethane to protect your hard work. There are lots of great faux finishing books and web sites where you can find instructions for painting just about any finish you can think of. Or, try making one up yourself! Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

The clapboard siding on the modern Colonial is being prepped and primed with Bob Vila Signature Collection paints. Bob is on hand as painter Jon Fish first sets, or recesses, any protruding nails securing the clapboard siding to the exterior sheathing. Next, in the corners where the clapboard siding butts up against the home's cedar shingles, the gaps are sealed with a fast-drying, paintable caulk. Caulk is also applied around window trim to prevent water infiltration. The caulk is applied with a caulking gun, and any excess material is wiped away with a damp rag. Fish then shows proper technique for painting clapboards. Beginning with the corners and side, Fish starts at the bottom of each clapboard then works across the board. Bob notes that painting with a brush allows for good coverage up and under each of the clapboards.

Ragging is a faux painting technique that provides both warmth and texture to any room.

The technique of faux painting adds grace and sophistication to any room. Striped effects create rich textures and handmade detail that cannot be matched by wallpaper patterns, and they make a room with a low ceiling appear taller.

Faux painting adds grace and sophistication to any room. Color washes create a softly patterned handmade effect that cannot be matched by any wallpaper patterns.

The popularity of video and audio podcasts has drawn attention to the value of good acoustics and the importance of soundproofing the space you record in. Large, �˜echo-y�™ rooms make the audio hard to understand and difficult to listen to. In addition to the sound that moves to the camera directly, other sound waves travel from the point of origin out to reflective surfaces and back again. These reflections mix with the direct sound and distort the sound�™s clarity. The solution is to use sound-absorbing materials to capture reflections and prevent them from being recorded during the podcast. When properly installed, these specially designed sound-absorbent materials trap reflected sound waves, resulting in a clearer audio for your podcast. To achieve these results, we installed Owens Corning QuietZone� Noise Control Batts and SOLSERENE� Fabric Ceiling System to the ceiling above the workspace, to the wall behind the workspace and to three movable sound absorbing panels, which can be rolled into place, as needed. Here�™s how to do it.