Wall Painting Ideas to Transform Any Room

So you’ve moved into one of Crary’s new Grand Forks homes and you want to add your personal touch. Besides furnishings, artwork is often one way that people add some personality to their home. However, you may be surprised at just what you can do with a couple of cans of paint to create a decorative wall that complements the room, regardless of size and furnishings.

Before any paint job, make sure the walls are clean, you have drop cloths on the floor, and have put painters tape along any edges you don’t plan to paint. Making this effort up front, as tedious as it may seem, can save a lot of frustration down the line. Solid colors are great, but there’s so much more you can do from patterns to textures to contrasting colors. Find the one that works best for each room.

You can start small and let a painted wall pattern highlight a piece of furniture such as a sofa. A great design idea for this is a series of painted arches. If you have white walls, you could add some color by choosing a color that complements the sofa. Another option if you have a stronger color on the walls is to simply choose paint that is a few shades darker than the wall paint. Best of all you can still add some art and lamps if you choose, and the height of the arches is up to you. They could come 12” above the sofa or higher if you prefer, just as they can frame the chosen piece of furniture or run the length of the wall.

If you love gingham and chequered patterns, the buffalo check is an eye-catching design. This takes a bit more work with drawing evenly spaced lines and using three shades of the chosen paint color, but the final effect is worth it. Since it is more labor intensive, you may want to use it for just one wall or for the upper wall part of a bathroom, with tile or stone filling up the bulk of the wall space. To create the effect, use a ruler and definitely use a level to mark horizontal and vertical lines that are spaced 4 inches apart. Outline the alternating horizontal lines first with painters tape, as they’ll be filled in with the lightest color. The background white will provide the contrast. Then, when the horizontal lines are dry, tape the vertical lines and paint them the next darker shade. Finally, fill in the overlapping painted squares with the darkest color for more impact.

If rulers aren’t your style and you prefer to take a more casual approach, why not create your own relaxed print where precision is not the aim of the game. You could use white walls and a bright color for the pattern to complement the room, or you could choose a darker base color and a lighter color for your pattern. It all depends on your personal taste. No rules! Ideally, you should sketch out a series of rows of horizontal, vertical and zigzag lines and dashes on paper to give you an idea of what you want the walls to look like. Play around with the order of the lines and mix in some dashes and angled lines or even dots. This can be a busy look, so either space it out between rows or embrace it by keeping the rest of the room minimal. Fortunately, a simple one-inch foam brush is about all you need to do this and you don’t have to worry about perfect spacing and absolutely straight lines. The handmade nature of it is part of its appeal.

For a truly simple but effective treatment, create a two-toned look for your room. This can give the feeling of architectural details such as railing and trim, without all of the hassle. It’s also a way to use darker colors in a room without completely overwhelming the room or making it feel too heavy. This is ideal for a bedroom where a darker color, such as a deep navy blue covers the bottom two thirds of the walls. Let the upper third be white to blend with the ceiling, or choose another light color and paint the ceiling as well. This will also help to draw the eye upward. All you need for this project is a roll of painters tape and preferably a level to make sure your line is straight all around the room.

These are some of the easier options that still make a big impact. If you’re feeling artistic, you could create your own ombre effect or even your own permanent sunrise. These require a bit more effort in blending and working fast enough and can be challenging if you’re not used to painting. But that’s the great thing about paint. It’s relatively cheap and is an easy way to change a room quickly without a lot of fuss. Have fun with your new Grand Forks homes and explore all the colors, patterns and designs that could easily make your home fun, stylish and a great representation of yourself.

Categorised in: DIY Tips, Home Decor Tips, home decorating trends, Things To Do, Wall Painting Ideas to Transform Any Room

This post was written by Crary Real Estate