My Walls are Suede
Ralph Lauren Paint… maybe the scariest paint on the planet. It’s some pretty kewl paint but jeeze, it cost’s a fortune compared to “normal” paint. However, if you want a wall that gets attention, Ralph Lauren textures are fantastic.
Hint #1 - BUY LOTS OF IT!
This stuff does NOT go a long way. If you get poor coverage with your expensive paint, it’s gonna look like $35 per gallon doo-doo. Figure your wall space and round UP. Remember, length times height gives you the square footage of a wall - if you have 9 foot ceilings, be sure to figure your coverage using that measurement and not the store’s estimate of a standard room, which has an 8 foot ceiling.
Hint #2 - PRIME YOUR WALLS
Waste primer, not paint, especially if you’re painting new construction. While you’re at the paint store, tell them you want a few gallons of cheap primer tinted to match the Ralph Lauren paint you’re using. This will keep you from wasting that expensive stuff on walls that simply suck up the first coat of whatever you put up.
Hint #3 - BUY THE Ralph Lauren ROLLERS
While it may sound like a ploy for more money, the fact is that you won’t get the finish you want if you don’t splurge on the accessories that are recommended. Not all the RL paints require them but there are special rollers that you have to use to get certain looks - if you are trying to match a photo in an ad or picture at the store, be sure to ask if the kind of paint you’re getting requires a special roller.
Hint #4 - FINISH THE WALL BEFORE YOU DECIDE IF YOU LIKE IT OR NOT
These finishes really do look quite different when they’re dry. If you’re going for the River Rock or Suede look, you have to complete the process almost down to the last brush stroke before you see the desired result
Hint #5 - HAVE FUN!
It’s only paint… if you screw up, paint it over. If you hate it, paint it over. If you like it, send photos!
If you use this paint properly it does go farther than what most on this forum state. I primed the walls with Behr primer (previously primed walls) tinted to the color of the suede paint . the room was approximately 300 feet and 8 foot walls. (approx 600 sq ft of painted surface). I rolled the first coat in random, tapered v’s and thought about leaving it as is. The suede texture was already there (used the brush, 4″ RL roller and 9″ RL roller) and it did look good once dry (be carefull not to put too heavy of a coat on the wall or you have to watch for runs). Decided to do the second coat and I am happeri than before. It really does look good, but be careful as it does discolor if you lightly scrape it. (maybe a ligher color will not have this problem). At the end of the process I am left with approx. 2 gallons (originally bought 5 gallons and one gallon of Behr primer-also have some primer remaining).
the things I do agree with that I read, the paint is messy so keep a wet rag on hand or cover with plastic, it is expensive, do not go back over the paint as it gets close to drying as you will see you new brush/roller strokes, it does look great when all the paint is dry.
Help! My family room is painted in a Ralph Lauren Suede paint. Today, I decided to touch up one of the areas to get rid of a couple of marks. Well, little did I know that I couldn’t do this, and now I have these blotchy marks on my walls. I have one full gallon of paint left. It looks as if I need to redo the wall. Since I am painting it the same color, do I need to do 2 coats of paint following the 2 coat process as RL indicates, or can I just do one coat using the ‘X’ method since I already have the color on the wall. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!!
Hello -
About 9 months ago I painted my family room in a RL suede. Today, I decided to touch some areas up on one wall. Needless to say it didn’t work and from research I did - it looks as if I need to repaint the wall. My question is - do I need to repaint the wall using the 2 coat process - Coat one with the roller and Coat two using the ‘x’ method, or can I just paint the whole wall using the ‘x’ method since it is the same color. Please help
Thanks!
I used rivier rock in my formal living room and powder room and it looks awesome. You definitely have to buy the rollers for river rock to obtain the correct finished look otherwise the paint will come off with the roller. RR was very tedious but if you took your time and followed the directions exactly you will love the finish. I did use about 3 gallons for a standard room size (13×13) with 9ft ceilings in rr. For the suede we did both coats in the directed “XX” pattern in our formal dinig room and it look like a professional did it. I thought it was very forgiving, you really couldn’t screw it up because it was a random fuax patterned look. We love it and everyone asks us who the painter was that did it because they loved the look. It is costly but you get what you pay for. Good luck!!
Hi There!
I have used RL suede paint three times since I last entered a comment and each time it has worked out beautifully. As far as touching up your wall, just do the X’s over again but it will look a little different than the other walls. Good luck let me know how it turned out.
Hi,
I would like to know how the touch ups are coming with the RL sude paint. We painted a room with this and we were having construction done around the house, someone (still trying to figure out who) put a scratch into the paint before it dried. I am wondering if I put a sealer on top of the paint after it is dry to avoid the scratches would work. Also I don’t want to have to paint the whole room over again. HELP PLEASE!!!!!!
HI all- I am new to this forum and found it by Googling “how to with suede paint.” I tell ya, I’ve gotten more than I bargained for and enjoyed reading all of the comments. Where’s Poon, though? He’s like he just dropped off? Did he ever send pics? He cracked me up!!
Quick quesiton. Has anyone done an accent wall with a different suede color? I am painting a loft area that will be the media room. I am not sure of the color scheme yet, except that I have an older leather (dirty cream/beige color) furniture set that we are putting in that room. That’s what I have to start with. Any suggestions on the colors? I thought, since I can’t decide, that I might use an accent wall.
Thanks again for this great site…
Hello all! I am new to the forum and just had trouble posting my first comment, so I am retyping. If by chance the other shows up, I apologize
I have really enjoyed this forum. I found it by googling suede paint and how to do it. I am wondering though, what happened to Poon? He was so funny! Did he ever post his pics?
I am painting a loft area, which will be the media room. It’s a blank slate right now and I really do not have any color ideas yet. I’ve thought about chocolate walls, but not sure about that. One thing I can say is that this old leather set will be in there and it’s a light beige color. Anyone have any suggestions on color schemes? Has anyone done an accent wall with the suede paint?
Thanks for any help
Michelle
I have used several gallons of rl suede with fairly good results, and have watched the how to video countless times. My question is…when doing the x’s on the 2nd coat, do you completely cover the wall? I do, and my finish is almost to subtle. I have used both light and dark colors, and I thought the dark ones would show more, but was suprised that they did not. The pics on the rl site show more variation, so I must be doing something not quite right.
As a professional painter, I have some very important suggestions. No, I mean requirements. If your going to paint anything, DO THE PROPER PREP. If you’re going to paint over dirt, or lumps, or grease spots, or not prime, or sand, or fill in holes, etc., don’t complain when it comes out not meeting your expectations. I can think of hundreds of jobs I’ve given quotes for where the client questions why it will take so long. “When I painted it, it only took a third of the time you say it’s going to take”, is a classic line I’ve heard many times. “That’s because I take the time to prepare the surface”, is my reply. “That’s why the job you did looks like a monkey-flung poop”, is what I think to myself.
As far as tape goes, use a quality brand. Make sure the tape is down securely before you apply paint. Run your finger down the ENTIRE edge. Loose tape is the ONLY reason that paint seeps under the edge. When painting over it, paint AWAY from the edge. Never towards. This will prevent the paint from being forced under the tape. When pulling the tape, always pull the tape at a 45 degree angle or less, from the surface. And pull slowly to see if it’s going to tear the paint.
Very important! Get quality tools. I’ve seen people apply $75 a gallon paint with a $1 dollar brush. A decent brush may cost you anywhere from $15 to $30 but should last for years and hundreds of projects. Buy a $2 dollar wire brush and a brush spinner and you’ll be able to keep your painting tools clean. You know it’s clean when no more paint comes out as you run it under the faucet. Once cleaned, put the brush back into it’s cardboard sleeve. Any decent brush will come with one.
It may sound stupid but most people don’t even know the proper way to use the tools they buy. Proper use will contribute to the quality of the job as well as the ability to make them last indefinitely.
Make sure you’ve got good lighting. It will help.
Painting. Whenever possible, do not paint out of the paint can. Buy a paint bucket and a liner and they will last forever with proper care. Put a little paint into the bucket. You’re only goint to dip one third of the brush in so you don’t need to fill it up. Once you dip the brush in, tap it once on each side on the side of the bucket. Never drag the brush on the edge of the bucket to scrape off excess paint. This will only remove the paint that you are trying to get onto the brush and will ultimately make a mess of the brush and the bucket. Think of it this way. The brush is like a fountain pen that has a resevoir filled with paint. It’s not like a knife that you use to frost a cake. Get it?
When using a roller and tray, only put enough paint in the tray to fill the bottom. If you’ve covered the grip part of the try you’ve put too much in and you’re going to get uneven coverage on the roller, too much paint on the roller, and you’re going to make a mess. With paint in the tray, roll the roller into just the edge of the paint and pull it back. Use the tray grip (the textured part) to squish the paint into and onto the roller and repeat until the roller is filled with paint. If you can’t lift the roller out of the tray without it dripping all over then you’ve got too much paint on it and you’re going to make a mess. You should never have to press hard when applying paint. If you’re pressing the roller hard against the wall you are not using enough paint and you’re going to get an uneven surface.
Never start a job in the middle of a wall. Go from side to side and complete the wall before moving on. When doing 2 coats (it’s going to take two coats, don’t kid yourself), on the first coat, roll first and then cut in the edges. This will take less time and paint. On the second coat do the opposite. Remember, 2 thin coats is better than one thick coat.
I could go on for days about the subtle techniques I use to acheive the high quality results I get but life calls. I hope the few hints I’ve given here help. I’ll be checking in so feel free to ask questions or comment on my suggestions. I’m always looking for new ways to get better results. Good luck and use a drop-cloth.
Considering using Ralph Lauren Candlelight? Have no fear…you’ll be amazed! Like so many, I saw the Candlelight brochure at Home Depot and was intrigued by the finish. The walls of my living room are traditional oil-based oil glaze. The finish is about 15 years old but people still marvel at the look. I didn’t want to go through the time or fumes to do it in my newly- remodeled dining room and saw Candlelight as a reasonable alternative.
I painted the walls two-tone. Above the chair rail is a light color, below dark. I used both Glidden and Behr paints in an eggshell finish. I allowed the paint about five days to cure. (A guess on my part.) the Candlelight requires the purchase of two specialized rollers. You MIGHT be able to get away with something more conventional but I chose not to cut corners.
Anyone who has worked with artist’s acrylic paints and used Liquitex products will immediately recognize the color and smell of Candlelight. It resembles Liquitex Matt and Gloss Mediums with their distinctive ammonia-like odor.
Before starting the project I viewed the streaming video on the Ralph Lauren Web site…I highly recommend it! It suggested washing the rollers and leaving them damp before using them. Something I otherwise would not have done.
I decided to first apply Candlelight to two facing walls since the adjoining walls needed to be masked. I like the brown craft paper mask with adhesive on just about half the paper.
Applying the Candlelight was easy if you follow the directions. It was a lot thicker than I thought it would be. Pay attention to overlapping. My 13 x 14 room (with two doorways and a double window) used only half the can…a real surprise since it should have consumed the whole can. I was concerned that I was not applying it thickly enough but that was not the case.
It dried to the touch in about an hour in an air-conditioned environment. And what a result! It’s difficult to describe. Under certain lighting conditions you can’t even see it. But at the right angle or, under the reflection of light, it has this metallic opalescent effect. It’s beautiful!
This is not a technique I would want to use in my whole house but I could see it used, besides a dining room, in a bathroom or powder room, formal living room or bedroom.
If you want to contact me for any more information, please feel free at .
Anyone try the RL demin or bright canvas…the directions look similar. One more step to the demin.
Thank you to thelowmax - your suggestions are very helpful.
I would like to do some painting. I am not sure what the walls are covered in - I believe it is a seude or riverrock(?) but they are gritty to touch. I would like to go back to a smooth finish but am unsure how to accomplish this. Any advice?
Glad I found this! Ugh, it’s been five days since the RL Candlelight went up overtop “Palace of Versailles” (dark dark green) and it still looks like glue. I’d done a small test area, and it though it took a full twenty-four hours, it did clear up. Maybe I’ll give the rest of the walls another week. Michelle, did yours *ever* clear up?
I ‘ve been a profession faux finish/mural artist for 20 years….I just had a client request a room done in RL Candlelight …I was intrigued, got the paint and finish, read all instructions, called the company etc. Most of the room turned out beautifully,( the walls that were only 8ft.high) , one wall however (20 ft. long X 12ft. high) looked terrible,….I called the co. again, and was told they don’t recommend this product for walls over 9′……great…..I re-painted and re-finished the whole wall…again…..a little better, but still not great…you can see subtle verticle roller lines, despite treating it the same as the other walls……I am VERY frustrated and not sure what to do with this now……client understands the process,and all , but isn’t exactly thrilled with this wall either……any suggestions????
I painted my room with candelight today and i am really unhappy with the results i didn’t follow the instruction well enough and now i can see the places where i cut in and it dried before it could be blended is there any fixing it?
HELP!
I have applied RL Candelight over Behr paint (mixed to exactly match a RL color featured in the RL Candelight brochure). I did the proper prep work, and for the most part the walls that are complete look very nice (the changing daylight and shadow produce a different look). I do have a problem since I am fairly picky. I do not like the way the cut in at the ceiling looks. I am thinking of going back with a trim pad and re-applying a band of Candlelight, then either using a fairly dry Candlelight roller or using a sponge to take some of the paint off.
Anyone with experience ‘touching up” Candelight walls?
BTW, throughout the house, I need to replace flat ugly doors with raised panel doors. I have other remodeling priorities that have my initital attention, so to spruce up the doors, I used RL Regent Metallics with the correct rollers etc. The results are just amazingly beautiful. I have used several of the colors in differrent rooms and I used one of the Metallics on a wrought iron stair railing — fabu!
In response to Cynthia, I too am a decorative artist and have been for over 20 years. I do a wide variety of faux finishes and had a client who wanted the Candlelight finish. Like you, I read all the instructions and followed everything to the letter. I was painting a 2 story foyer where the lighting was unforgiving. No matter what I did I could still tell where the roller ended. Eventually I had to repaint the foyer and do some grisalle work instead. I have come to the conclusion it is fine to use in smaller areas, but not good for larger ones. I believe this has to do with the drying time. It seems to set up too quickly to get all the way down a long wall and begin starting your next column. I love the appearence of the finish small scale and since I just moved I am going to try it in my bathroom to see how it works. Good luck with your future jobs.-Carol-Ann
I also used Ralph Lauren Regent Metallics to paint my iron stair railing. I think the color I used was called Bronze Statue. I had a tired looking stair railing, nothing special just plain rails, painted white with wood along the top. The Regent Metallic paint looks great, almost like a high-end wrought iron railing with a special finish from the factory. It even made the light wood along the top look more up to date. It was time consuming to paint and did require several coats. I would highly recommend using Regent Metallics for this purpose.
Now I’m thinking of painting a cabinet with Regent Metallics. The instructions on the RL website mention painting furniture. I was wondering if anyone has tried it.
We recently painted our living room/family room RL Suede and we are loving it…
we have wonderful trim in our apt. it is fab…I thought it was going to be difficult after hearing several people complain even a lady at home depot (shopper) told me not to waste my money… Looking at my walls now it is beautiful…
According the color that i chose I also purchaed a primer tinted (a bit lighter) …I asked for the cheapest primer.
after priming the walls I waited then tried the suede…I was a bit scared at first but since it is a faux finshed and not perfect I went at it..
The walls that were not so perfect after my first coat were the ones that looked great.
I am getting ready to paint with the Ralph Lauren suede paint. I don’t really understand how to apply the first coat. Do you paint it on every which way or uniform strokes?? Second coat are the criss cross marks right? Thanks
Hello. Does anyone know (i mean, REALLY know for a fact) if the RL Suede paint can be mixed with some type of gloss? My aunt painted her walls with RL Suede and my uncle HATES it. Everytime I visit, i hear him comment on the paint. He thinks its primer! LOL!
So my aunt asked me if i would help her fix it without spendind more moeny. I was thinking of painting over the walls with a Semi-Gloss paint. Does anyone know what will happen if the Suede Paint is mixed with Semi-Gloss Paint? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
P.S. How does one go about becoming a professional painter? I know the basic principals of painting and the basics on colors but what are the requirements to paint for a living?
Ralph Lauren Candlelight - Want to use in my powder room. Applied RL mademoiselle, but am worried now about applying the candlelight topcoat because of the small room w/window, doorway, etc. and trying to do the x’s correctly in small areas.
Any suggestions?
I have now used RL Regent Metallics to paint my stair rails and my master bath vanity. I used Silver Plate on the vanity and then lightly rolled a little of Great Hall Cream on top. It looks great! I would highly recommend using the Regent Metallics. I am now thinking of using RL Candlelight in my powder room and am wondering as the previous posted asked about correctly applying it around the door opening and other small areas. Does anyone have experience with this?
I have Ralph Lauren’s Adobe Suede finish in my home office. I applied it myself and it took about 4 gallons of paint to complete an approx. 12×12 room. I painted it two years ago and still love it. It really does look like suede and I get compliments on it all the time. You have to be patient but I really believe you can’t mess up this finish. Your room is going to look nice as long as you follow the directions and use the RL tools. I am now thinking about using the candlelight for my living room; it sounds costly and time consuming but I am sure if it turns out half as nice as the suede it will look amazing.
I just finished my computer room (about 13×14 ft room) in the Suede finish, in Arrow Wood and it only took 1 1/2 gallons. I also used normal paint rollers and normal 3″ brush. It looks AWESOME! Looks JUST like suede on my walls. I’m so happy with my walls and I’d highly recommend this paint. Just follow the directions
I am using the Ralph Lauren candlelight glaze and was wondering if you could add color to it? The base coat color is oatmeal and is much lighter than I expected and I think the glaze makes the base coat even lighter? I would be greatfull if you could responds as soon as possible as we are trying to finish the dining room this weekend.
Thanks Christine
We just painted a wall with Candlelight and are very unhappy with the results - the biggest issue is that you can see one very distinct line from the trim roller on one side. Does anyone know if this can be fixed (and how) or does this wall have to be redone ? I hate this paint. Will stick to suede in the future.
Have been doing Ralph Lauren Candlelight over his Vintage line color, Rosewood Pink. I did two walls as a test…was very disappointed…it just looked glossy, however I didn’t reload the roller a second time and also think I over-rolled it which takes away the texture which is what gives it the reflection in the light. On my second attempt, I put it on very thickly and reloaded the roller three times as I have higher ceilings. When I did the cross rolling, I used a very light touch..the less the better. It came out looking like the sample the second time, but if you can see a line before it dries, you will see it after, so keep going over it …very lightly until it is blended. Also, it helps if you have a helper to reload the rollers for you, minimizes getting on/off ladder and also saves time if you are doing a taller wall. Also, I have glossy white trim. Hope this helps!
Can anyone tell me how to remove RL Candlelight
or how to apply it properly.
Jane maybe u can help me? thanks
I used suede paint on a wall but don’t like it next to the bumpy ceiling. How do I just touch up right next to it without painting the whole wall? It is not even next to the celing. Help
I did the candlelite paint, followed the directions , it came out awful. So disappointed. I’ve done alot of painting with RL paints mostly suede (which i love)but i was doing my dining room so i decided to try the candlelite. Now i have a redo to do. I do not recommend this.
I am considering Candlelight for my dining room too and was so excited at the store to have finally made the decision… till I came online to find mostly bad reviews of it. The only positive one so far that gives me a bit of hope is from Jerry above. Many of you have given valuable tips regarding the application. I know Jerry’s post is 2 yrs old but if I may ask, what colors did you end up using as a base coat and if you still like the treatment?
Jo, do you still hate it? I read somewhere that the finish requires 2 weeks to cure.
My husband and I painted 2 opposing walls of our bathroom with RL Candlelight (intending to do the other opposing walls after the 1st 2 dried)… It looks horrible! We followed all the directions, from the pamphlet as well as the website. It looks like dried Elmers Glue over the paint. We decided to paint over it with the base color, and now we’re just waiting for it to dry, hoping that it will cover well enough… We really liked the way the sample looked, and we’re hoping to somehow make it work, but since we DID follow the directions, we’re not sure what to do different to create the look which is shown on the sample.
One thing we are certain of… The directions say to completely saturate your rollers, and then resaturate and roll over it again… That simply puts too much Candlelight on the wall… Put it this way, whatever CL you put on the wall WILL reflect light… So, if you saturate the roller, and then roll twice, you completely cover the wall, and then the whole wall reflects light, not just the spattering look of the sample.
Does anyone have any advice for making the CL look actually work???
A roommate recommended me to read this page, nice post, fanstatic read… keep up the nice work!
I was also disappointed with the Candlelight finish. I followed all of the directions, but it just looks cheap. Anyone know how to remove it? Did painting over it work?
With all this talk about RL Candlelight looking beautiful or looking awful, I decided to experiment on a bedroom - The thing I am most afraid is that it will look like glue pasted on the wall, but I’ll be painting it on one wall first - and if satisfied, will continue the process.
I decided room looked good enough with the base coat and could not bring myself to experiment further - perhaps a more adventurous soul. I know that RL Candlelight is a specialty paste that only works well under the right lighting conditions.
Hi everyone, I am going to start a project this week with Ralph lauren Metallic paint in a rich gold/bronze color. I have painted many, many times before but am seeking any special advice for this type of paint. I was NOT going to prime, but I think I might have to based on what everyone else says. I am familiar with the various rollers and paint required to obtain the perfect finish. I just want to check before spending big bucks on the Ralph Lauren paint. Thanks for your advice & time. Sue
I used caminos grey as a wall accent, and the suede turned out AWESOME. Well worth the $40 a gallon.
I just did RL Candleight in my powder room smaller. My base coat is Full Maroon in Behr paint. On the smaller walls it looks amazing, but the big wall, as everyone else, you can see the lap lines. I hear to fix it I have to paint my base coat over it and redo the Candellight. is that right? If I reapply the Candlelight will that work?
My wife painted our kitchen with RL suede paint about 4 years ago it looks great but now we have toddler and she has put scuff marks on the walls. I made the mistake of using a magic eraser on the walls and now I am left with a white residue on the wall where the scratch was. Any one know any way to get this off the wall without having to repaint it?
Thanks
I just wanted to say that I used RL candlelight in my very small bathroom and I love it! I worked it a lot, did it all at once and it looks really great IMO. Right now I’m trying to decide what to do with my hall, which is why I’m reading everything. Again…hah! Before I had used riverrock, which I liked a lot but it would get scratch marks on it and I couldnt clean it. I’m wondering which compares better - BM texture paint or RL river rock? Anybody know?
I did one of my walls suede paint with two coats which was lovely but my plastered walls have cracked since then, the cracks have been fixed so now I need to repaint it with suede paint please help with the best way to do this as i hope going over it a third time it will still look good.
Please can someone help?
I am about to paint my dining area with the Behr venitian plaster/paint… and my living room in ralph laurens suede paint. I am wondering… is that too many faux techniques since the rooms go into each other (small apartment)
Also, does anyone know what either of these paints look like if you decide you want to change to a regular paint if you do not like it???
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Hi, I am considering using the suede finish on my wall. I don’t see any references on using it on a wall that is builder-grade textured. Has anyone tried this?
How would one clean that? I think it looks amazing. I just worry about little fingers.
Can’t wait to try this in my greatroom! Thanks for the info.