Faux home finishes: Get the look for less

High-style forgeries for your home

By Special to MoneySense on January 30, 2014
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

From hardwood to marble and brick, get the look for less.

This article is 11 years old. Some details may be outdated.

The phrase “faking it” is often used as a pejorative. In decor, it should be used as a compliment. High-style forgeries let designers and homeowners create beautiful, durable spaces at a fraction of the price. Here are five of the most convincing.

Carpet

SAVE 74% Flor’s Graphic Carpet Tiles vs. Oliver Yaphe’s Graphic Lexi Rug Carpet tiles are usually associated with bland office spaces but Chicago-based Flor makes design-savvy versions (avg. $6.25/sq ft) for the home. Because they come in small modules, they’re inherently economical: tiles can be replaced on a per-spill basis. Unlike high-end rugs made of natural fibers like wool or cotton ($24/sq ft), they’re manufactured from recycled plastic. Purchase the mat flor.com

Hardwood

SAVE 32% Red Grandis vs. mahogany Red Grand is ($2.90/ft) is a sustainably grown, FSC-certified hardwood from Uruguaythat works well for flooring, cabinetry and furniture. It has a reddish, knot-free grain that’s comparable to mahogany (from $4.25/sq ft), but because it doesn’t have the same name recognition, is more affordable. Available through Upper Canada Forest Products at ucfp.com

Backsplash

SAVE 46% Ikea’s Fastbo Backsplash Panel vs. Frigo Design’s Stainless Steel Backsplash Panel Ikea’s Fastbo backsplash panels ($8.23/sq ft), made of an aluminum-coloured resin, are a convincing substitute for stainless steel ($15.30/sq ft). They cut well and adhere to many wall surfaces with hardware-store glue. The drawback is they’re sensitive to certain kinds of heat: put them near a gas cooktop and they’ll cook themselves. Available at ikea.ca

Marble

SAVE 85% Formica’s Calacatta Marble Countertop vs. Marble Trend’s Calacatta Marble MONY01_S_KNOCKOFF_COMP1

Formica is famous for its flimsy laminate and particleboard countertops. But its 180fx series is made of a solid resin composite to eliminate peeling. A five-foot maximum span means seams are inevitable, but the grey ribboning is real enough to fool haughty houseguests. And at about $22/sq ft, it’s a steal compared to real marble, which can cost a hefty $152/sq ft. Available at formica.com/en/ca

Brick

SAVE 57% Century Architexture’s Brick Veneer Panels vs. Urestone’s Aged Brick Panels Toronto-based Century Architexture has engineered 1/4-inch thick, lightweight wall panels ($6/sq ft) that can be glued to a wall to create a trendy, industrial look. It’s not only cheaper than similar, pre-mortared products ($13.95/sq ft), but also infinitely easier than moving to a real loft conversion. Available at centuryarchitexture.com (Images courtesy of: Ikea; Flor; Formica; Century Architexture; Hardwoods-Inc; iStock)