I’ve painted the stone steps in a mixture of grey and black acrylic paints to take down the shine of the original pavers and painted the purchased pillars to match. I also cut toppers for the side walls out of balsa wood.
I grouted the steps, though I didn’t seal the grey paint before grouting. I wanted to make sure I didn’t have any shine on the steps. I used a sewing pin to define the grout lines since a toothpick would have been too thick to get between the pavers.
A pair of pedestals from Carol’s Bloomers finish off the front steps. The pillars needed another coat of paint to match seamlessly.
I glued the sides to the steps but the whole assembly won’t be attached permanently to the foundation until after the house is mounted to its baseboard. I painted the balsa toppers to match as well, but it took a lot of layers to remove the wood grain. I even used some grouting material to add some texture to the paint, though most of it was sanded down in the process.
I gave the steps, sides and pedestals a quick wash of black-brown paint diluted in water to take down the brightness of the grouting. It also gives the illusion of leftover mud from a recent rain. :D
There will be some plant matter and moss added during the landscaping phase, too. I really like the visual weight of them. :D
Aging and adding moss here.
