Does anyone remember the living room that Genevieve did where she painted a wall that oxidized?

I want to do that treatment to one of my walls. Please let me know how to do this thanks!

The project isn't difficult on its own, but just understand that you're going to damage your wall to do it.

Genevieve recognized that the iron pigment solution that oxidizes will destroy the drywall, so she had sheets of plywood cut and screwed over the dryall. You can use 3/8" drywall to do this, so that you're not adding too much weight to the wall/joists. You'll need 1-1/2" GP or drywall screws for this part, as well as a table saw (to get straight edges) and a circular saw to cut out for any doors/windows/ceiling angles....plus a drill for driving in the screws. Each sheet of plywood is 4'-0" x 8'-0", and if you can't tell where the studs are in your wall, you'll need a studfinder to mark them out and plan your cuts.

Once that's all up, you should prime the plywood because it's very "thirsty"...and the iron pigment solution is VERY expensive. There aren't many on the market, and the only one I can find locally is by Modern Masters and retailed by Benjamin Moore paints and places like Michael's Crafts. The reactive paint retails at $130/gallon in the Chicago area. Then you have to pick up the oxidizing solution, which is another $70/gallon. It also doesn't give the same coverage as normal latex/alkyd paints, so you need to plan on 1 gallon/100 sf of the iron pigment solution and 1 gallon/175 sf of the oxidizing solution. People will try telling you that vinegar works just as well, but it doesn't because you can't control the oxidation and can end up with a mess.

If you want the effect of this without the massive cost (an 8'-0" x 12'-0" wall would cost you over $300 just for materials) you could create a cool focal point by making a large canvas using 2x2 lumber for the frame and stretching an old bedsheet over it, stapling on the back side. Give it 4-5 coats of shellac-based primer (Kilz makes a great one) to really stiffen it up, then a coat of acid-blocking primer to protect the sheet from the acid that comes. Follow with a couple coats of black alkyd paint (don't use latex because it will bubble). Go over that with the Metal Effects iron pigment solution (by using the canvas method, you can control the size of the project and can use the 16 oz product which retails for around $30), then use the patina activator over that and finish with a clear-coat poly. You could frame it out with a frame made of simple trim moulding from the Millwork dept at your local DIY center, painted flat black to look like wrought iron. Hang that in the center of the wall for the rust effect without all the fuss/muss of what Genevieve did. That's a project you could do for under $100 and without dealing with borrowing/renting saws, etc.

Thank you for your response. Wow what an undertaking. I guess I'll just have to hire Genevieve to do this for me. Ha ha