Do you want to create this dazzling buried mica wall finish reminiscent of how the inside of a silver mine may glisten? Here's how I did it!
This finish uses 3 products, Mica Revolution's Mica Rock in Smokey Charcoal, Golden Paint Work's Weathered Granite and Faux By Kathy's Silver Hollywood Glass Beads.
This finish could be done in a multitude of colorways and you could substitute products to lend a different final look.
*let me preface by saying I chose to go over wall liner with this finish because I am renting this studio space - it has nothing to do with anything aside from that*
I started by painting the wall a complimentary color to the mica flakes (I used metallic paint because I was deciding between a few finishes for this space, if I did it again I would stick to flat it doesn't change the look enough to warrant it) and while that was drying I tore the mica rock sheet into usable pieces of product - they come in large sheets and that doesn't work for this application, you want chunks and pieces to peek out once buried to give a peek-a-boo weathered look.
I paid close attention to which pieces had edges and which were more irregular when collecting them, you want to save the edge pieces for areas around the ceiling and sides where you want the mica flush and not buried and since we're going for a "nature made this happen" end result, and harsh edges aren't likely to be found somewhere erosion has occurred over a long period of time.
I then took Diane's glue of choice - Roman's Extreme Tack Wallpaper Adhesive - and with a trowel I applied the glue in areas along the wall where I wanted the mica flakes to sit. I worked in sections applying the glue and then pressing the flakes in with adequate pressure. I made sure to pay close attention to anywhere the glue may have come through and wiped it away to ensure no discoloration occurred once dried. I worked my way around the wall adding sections until I saw fit - you want to leave negative space here to showcase the mica being a "found" feature. This is going to look bare, don't worry!
I let this layer dry completely before coming in with the Weathered Granite, I don't want disturb any of the flakes and cause lifting and shifting.
I troweled a full layer of this product all over the wall and you will see some edges are very harsh and jagged where some have been softened, I did this as I went along.
Here is an example of what I mean, this area has been covered but it looks very stark, forward and out of place.
And here is after I came back and buried any harsh places to better give in to the illusion of nature making this happen rather than me and my trowel. I also brought some Weathered Granite over middle sections of the mica to further set the layer back. You may see that I left some areas of the wall color peeking through, in the final look I chose to cover these as they didn't read in the way I wanted - it's entirely up to you whether you do that or not.
Once I was happy with how the mica was buried I let this layer dry completely and came back in with a completely optional product - Hollywood Silver Glass Beads.
You could choose to stop here, I chose not to.
I used Hollywood Silver here because I felt the color really complimented the flake and I wanted a soft overall look. Using the tip of my trowel I swiped the glass beads in random sections until I liked the composition, paying mind to incorporate it over the mica areas as well as the Weathered Granite.
Taking steps back any time during this finish and checking how things are balanced is really important to guarantee a good flow. You can work section by section but be sure to pull back and make sure it's looking blended and not choppy - if something feels off you can add another layer until it feels right, it doesn't always happen on the first try!
There are a few areas I want to come back to and fix but for now here's where the wall sits because I have to get back to work:-)
I hope you liked this and if you followed along at home your new wall finish is complete!