Linen Finishes, Techniques, and Applications

Linen, weaving, fabric and tweed all have a very distinctly casual, and understated look that can be recreated using combing and dragging tools with paints of similar colors for an a easygoing look, or very different colors for a striking bold look. Again, these are simple, yet effective ways to give a room a lot of character. These techniques are largely used either above, or below chair rails, on low-height accent walls, and on hard furniture.

Combing
Combing can produce a very distinct linen look by vertically dragging the combing tool from top to bottom, and then horizontally to further produce a woven look.

Strie/Dragging
Strie or Dragging is the same concept but uses a stiff dragger-brush in place of a comb to produce a much softer, less obvious linear pattern for a more casual effect. Although the charm of Strié is in its imperfections, this technique is not recommended, for very large or high walls, as it is very difficult to hold the Strié straight over long distances, which produces linear deviation.