I did an entire apartment in them 10 years ago but I do think their time has come and gone. Simple and elegant seems to be the way to go these days! -- scotch mommy

I think that most faux finishes just end up looking like a dirty, messy wall but I will admit that as a teenager I painted my wall blue and added fluffy white clouds.

Gone are the days of using a crumpled plastic bag on a freshly painted wall.  This just screams early 90's!  However, many of the faux-suade wallpapers look very elegant when paired with the proper decor.

I think faux-finishings using crumpled bags is of the past, but I have seen marbleizing techniques that can surely deceive.

We're now more into straight clean lines like these :livealindalife.blogspot.com/search?q=paint+                 if we decided that the plain old walls just don't cut it

I think faux-finishes still look great if done properly.  I've seen many done with too many different colors and you could actually see the device on the wall in which it was applied with.  Done properly you shouldn't even know what was used to do the finish. Sponges etc.  I do faux finishes professionally and they are beautiful and add great depth to the walls.

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I bought a townhouse that had every single wall, counter and floor covered in a faux finish of some sort or other.  It took me 3 years to get everything back to regular finishes.  What a nightmare the faux finishes looked.   They were definitely tacky and just plain ugly.   Less is more!!!!

If the Faux Finish is done well it won't look tacky and ugly, but like everything else, people try to do it themselves and not all of have that forte. Leave it to the experts and everyone will be happier with the results.

I agree 105% with Deborah's comment. :)    IF done properly  'faux-finished' painting of any kind can be very esthetic.    A prime example is that  which is frequently used for architectural elements  in movies, the theatre,  etc.  

-Brenda-

I totally agree with Deborah.

I like faux finishes when you are dealing with older homes and you want to add character and change without the cost of renovation.

If you are working with new gysum walls or walls without problems,,, use your fabrics and furniture to add texture, use your wall to work with color, light and space allusion.

Just my thoughts!

Like others, I too agree with Deborah.  I did two of my kids bedrooms a number of years ago and refuse to redo as they still look great.  My son's room is sports themed with Toronto Maple Leaf blue "jeans" walls and red drapes and accessories.  Works well with sports stuff.  My daughters room is pale pink "jeans" done in 4 foot wide panels so it almost looks like wallpaper.  The "seams" have little white "stitches" painted from ceiling to floor.  Most folks ask if I've wallpapered their rooms.  I wouldn't do faux anywhere else.

I covered over my faux finished kitchen. It was cute in my older home...looked very bistro. But I got tired of it and wanted a cleaner line, still I left a bit for fun in one area that will remain till I do a major kitchen reno. I used faux finish as feature walls...I am very pleased with the results elsewhere, but the finish is so fine that people would not know whether they were wall paper or some other materials. As accents, it was inexpensive and effective. Anyhow, if you love it...why not?

Having lived through too many friends who "did-it-them-selves" and colours that were never close to each other on the colour wheel to be considered even cousins, I would have said the trend was long over. But having seen the clean lines and flat walls for so many years I am starting to warm to the idea of finely finished walls with depth and subtle interest. I don't mean I want to see faux brick, lattice or marble, I would prefer the real thing in these cases. What I would like to see again are walls with subtle variation, movement and texture. I am thinking Venetian plaster, suede, leather or crushed velvet when lighting can play up the effects for the most dramatic results!

If done correctly it is o.k., as for myself I am over the faux- sponge look. I had afriend who took a class, and did the leather-look finish and it looks great. So if you learn from a professional that may make the difference in good faux, and faux faux!!

Faux finishing is again becoming..........vogue?  Yes, I said vogue.  Faux finishing is NOT sponge painting or swooshing anymore!  Concrete faux and venetian plastering tecniques are all the rage, and very convincing evan to the trained eye.  I do agree with LaRonda and the other commentors that they should be applied correctly, or by a hired professional to achieve the desired affect.  Faux is again vogue!