Design for painting a room
45 Creative Wall Paint Ideas and Designs — RenoGuide
Marj Licos
Marj Licos
Splashing on a fresh coat of paint is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to refresh your home interiors. Aside from just painting the walls, you can also use them as the room’s accent or décor. With a little artistry and a lot of imagination, your walls can be highlights of the room or the house! Here are some easy DIY wall paint ideas and designs that will instantly transform the wall from humdrum to fabulous. Check these out and get ready for some painting!
1. Random Rectangles
Cool, modern, eye-catching. This easy-to-create wall paint feature will complement your modern home interiors and don’t need creative or artistic skills to complete. Just pick your favourite colour palette and paint away random rectangles in different shades.
2. Nordic Blues
Blue-grey shades are typical of the cool, modern and minimalist interiors of Scandinavian designs. Use several shades of Nordic blues to cover blocks of your wall. Use painter’s tape to achieve clean straight lines.
3. Honeycomb
Perk up a plain white wall with several shades of honeycomb. The randomly placed hexagons create a fun and funky vibe to the room. Use colours that complement the room’s interiors and use – brighter shades for kid’s bedroom, more toned-down for the living room or dining area.
4. Turquoise Ombre
Bring in the bright and cool of the ocean with this turquoise ombre wall paint. Match the colourful wall with sea-themed accents, glass and gold. The light-toned wood flooring works to soften the glare.
5. Gingham Style
Painting squares can’t be that hard! This gingham-inspired wall feature gives the room an idyllic charm and rustic vibe. The key to a successful gingham wall feature is in carefully studying the shades, planning the painting and keeping the lines straight.
6. Grey Diagonals
This is one of the easiest wall paint ideas and designs for an accent wall. Upgrade a blank wall into this sleek and attractive wall accent. Painting a plain grey wall with diagonal lines of different thickness and shades creates a trendy and upbeat vibe. Perfect for modern minimalist homes.
7. Elegant Lines
The headboard wall is the ideal accent wall of a bedroom. This modern bedroom highlighted the wall with a dark shade of peacock green amongst a predominantly white interior. Black thin lines are added to create a modern chic look.
8. Orange Burst
Easily dress up a narrow blank wall with this orange burst paint feature. Take your favourite colour, then create several shades of it by gradually adding white paint. An easy and fun way to add a pop of colour to an otherwise gloomy corner.
9. Vertical Divide
Sleek, modern and creative. Easily upgrade your interiors with this three-tone vertical divide paintwork. The grey shades complement the modern minimalist room, while the perky yellow serves as the accent colour. Add yellow décor pieces to pick up the colour theme.
10. 3D Boxes
Add fun to your room with some 3D wall effect. This three-tone 3D box design is easy to accomplish. Draft the lines and mark the colours so you won’t get confused. Using painter’s tape will hasten the process and ensure straight lines.
11. Circle Ombre
This circle ombre paintwork is perfect for when you just need a fun feature to dress up a blank wall. Draw a huge circle on the wall and divide into several vertical segments. Starting with the original paint colour, paint the middle part. Dilute the paint with white and work your way painting the outer segments. Remove the painters’ tape dividing the sections.
12. Charming Check
Fun, charming, unique. This blue-themed check wall feature complements the coastal home interiors. But you can make your own check design and put in on your wall! Pick your favourite colour and create three more complementary shades to complete your check design.
13. Colourful Geometrics
This bright and colourful geometric design works for homes and is best for rooms where you need a lot of positive energy flowing, like the living room or the family room. Its bright colours are captivating, while the diagonal strokes give the design a dynamic look.
14. Flower Accent
Brighten up a forgettable corner of your home with this charming and fascinating wall flower accent. You can go as bright as you want by using red or orange shades, or as cool as this yellow on grey rose accent.
15. Random Lines
Eliminate blank and boring walls easily with some ingenuity and a free weekend to work on your wall. This enthralling two-tone paint wall accent is fun, modern and original. Its random lines and colour blocking aspect effectively delivers drama and character to the room.
16. Pastel Triangles
Fun, cheerful and bright! One of the most festive wall paint ideas and designs. Pastel triangles on the wall will make you think of confetti, party and excitement. Ideal wall feature for children’s bedroom, the playroom, the family room or even the kitchen!
17. Blended Grey
When you want a plain grey wall, but you also want it to be exciting and unique! This blended grey wall is surely captivating and extraordinary. To achieve the cloud-like effect, use two tones of grey. Paint the lower part of the wall with the darker tone and the top with the lighter one. Use both colours in the middle part, using quick bold strokes to get the blended effect.
18. Cross-stitched Accent
Unique, nostalgic and beautiful. This wall feature will take a lot of painstaking and detailed work to get right. But with the right attention to details and a lot of patience, it is possible. A great surprise or gift of labour for someone who’s into cross-stitching.
19. Paint Drips
You’ll never have to worry about the drips, the overpainting and the mess with this design. Drips are encouraged and the messy result delivers a beautiful and arresting wall feature. For smaller rooms, you can do one layer of paint applied on the top of the wall, right next to the ceiling and dripped randomly.
20. Vertical Stripes
Stripes are classic, neat and a staple in almost any design. Adding some black vertical stripes to a plain white wall will instantly transform it into this chic and elegant wall accent. From a forgettable foyer to a stylish one.
21. Sunset Ombre
Capture the magic of sunset with this incredible sunset ombre wall design. Warm, bright, mesmerising. The key to achieving the seamless ombre wall is the careful blending of colours. Start with sky blue from the top, follow with blush, then with warm honey orange, and end with salmon at the bottom. Blend colours between shades.
22.
Blue MountainsRelaxing, cool and fascinating. Adding a tranquil wall décor such as this blue mountain feature evokes peace and quiet into a room. Best for bedrooms, bath or the music room. Using several shades of blue-green paint, draw and paint the dips and peaks of your mountains. You can even recreate a favoured mountain range!
23. Dividing Diamonds
Adding pizzazz to a plain wall is easy and fun! Instead of abruptly cutting off from one colour to another, transition by adding these dividing diamonds. This wall transitioned from blue to white, and to divide the two blocks of colour, several shades of blue and white diamonds were added in between. Fun, attractive and charming!
24. Prints and Patterns
Sleek, light and neutral. This is the perfect wall accent for the modern minimalist home. Using painters’ tape, divide the wall into triangles. Working with each triangle, randomly paint them with either grey or white, or create different patterns like stripes, fish tales, slants, starts, circles, and whatever you fancy!
25. Connecting Dots
Give your plain white wall a fun upgrade with this dots and lines design. Easy to create but might take you some time to complete. This is easier with a sharpie. Just create random dots a few inches from each, then draw lines to connect the dots.
26. Watercolour Effect
Arresting, creative, unforgettable! Pick some of your favourite colours to use for this colourful wall accent. Diluting acrylic paint with water will give you this fascinating watercolour effect. Keep the rest of the room muted so as not to overwhelm the overall design.
27. Rainbow Wall
Everyone loves rainbows! Adding a cheery rainbow to your home will instantly uplift its mood and ambience. This accent wall highlights a basic rainbow arch on white. The colours more than provide the vividness that the all-white room needs.
28. Bright Colour Blocks
Brighten up a gloomy corner or decorate a blank wall with some blocks of bright colour paint. This plain white section of the house is turned bright and interesting by just adding blocks of red, orange and yellow. Not artistic skills required, just keep your lines straight with the help of painters’ tape.
29. Grunge Watercolour
Don’t be afraid to play with your walls and colours! This grunge watercolour wall speaks of an edgy, free and creative personality. To create the look, use acrylic paint, pick your favourite colour and dilute with water to achieve the fading effect. No rules for this design, just have fun.
30. Origami Accent
Minimalist, colourful, fun. This bright and eye-catching origami wall accent is all you need to perk up a room! Its sleek lines and minimalist design are perfect for the modern minimalist home – just the right amount of colour and fun but without the clutter and fuss.
31. Graded Ombre
Want to do the ombre wall but can’t achieve the seamless blend? Try this graded ombre – the easier and simpler version of the delightful wall paint trick. Instead of going for the seamless, you’ll have to do the transition in segments. Just add colour or dilute the paint as you go from one panel to the next.
32. Dripping Mountains
Striking, colourful, inventive. This streamlined version of the mountains mural is brighter yet more subtle. Using several pastel shades of acrylic, dilute the paint with water to achieve the right drippy consistency. Fill large syringes and carefully work your way making mountain ranges across the wall.
33. Rainbow Splatter
This is another fun project to upgrade a blank wall into something colourful and exciting. Very minimal artistic skills required! Just pick out the colour theme you want; it could be several shades of one colour, a three-colour combi or this explosive rainbow collection.
34. Pastel Geometrics
Charming, understated, elegant. This colourful wall of muted pastel geometrics is easy to create. Using painters’ tape, map the wall out with random shapes, then fill each one with a different pastel colour. Mix some neutral shades with the pretty pastels to get the classy elegant look.
35. Into the Woods
With the right technique, painting a forest on your wall isn’t as hard as you would imagine. This green forest wall accent is easy to create. Start from the top background paint, then work your way down making tree silhouettes and adding more of the dark green paint as you go.
36. Red Grunge Fade
Edgy, fascinating, extraordinary. This rust-red grunge paint wall accent brings in an edgy and vivacious character to the room. The awesome way to disrupt the perfect orderliness of the modern minimalist interiors. After painting a section of the wall, press a wet rug to the newly painted section to create the grungy effect.
37. Hand Drawn Herringbone
Funky and creative, minimalist and attractive. Add a fun and trendy vibe to the room by creating this easy-to-do hand drawn herringbone wall accent. You’ll need a lot of patience working your way across the wall, but the work is simple enough. This is the only time you’re allowed to draw on the wall!
38. Colourful Fish Scales
This fish scales wall paint feature will not only dress up your wall, but it will also bring fun and excitement to the room. Adding some party colours in fun shapes will instantly transform a humdrum wall into this colourful and gorgeous feature. Best for children’s bedroom, the nursery, the family room or even for outdoor hubs.
39. Unfinished Half
This may look like you’ve run out of paint, but it is actually a fun and quirky wall paint feature. This unique wall accent is a great conversation starter and is one of the easiest to accomplish. The streamlined elegant look underlines the fun and creative whimsy of the wall feature.
40. Elegant Minimalist
Some of the best wall paint ideas and designs actually use a sharpie. This elegant and classy wall accent is very easy to achieve! The first step is to paint the wall with a dark shade of colour. Once the paint has dried, use a gold sharpie pen to create the thin elegant lines. Done!
41.
Patterned PastelsFunky, bright, exciting! Eliminate boring walls with some fun pastel prints and patterns. Design patterns and options are endless, just use your imagination! This colourful concoction of dots, shapes and patterns results to an electrifying fun wall.
42. Floral Doodle
Express yourself and showcase your art on your wall! This amazing floral doodle wall feature is elegant and astounding as it is in black and white. You can also opt for the more attention-grabbing finish by adding in colours.
43. Vertical Lines
Subtle, elegant, modern. Adding random vertical lines to your plain wall will instantly give it a more modern and exciting look. The white vertical slants on grey background wall accent give this bedroom a contemporary yet stylish finish.
44. Painted Wood Planks
Love wood planks on your walls but would also like some colour? This painted wood planks wall gives a fascinating, fabulous and unique look to the bedroom. The bright colours instantly uplift the bedroom from mundane to stunning. Highlight the wall feature with some spotlights.
45. Random Curves
In the minimalist trend of neutral colours and straight lines, this accent wall of curves and pastels is a standout. The circles and curves soften the look, while light pastels complement the modern minimalist styling.
Tagged: diy wall paint, diy interior design
How to Paint a Room: 10 Steps to Painting Walls Like a DIY Pro
AD It Yourself
Learn how to paint a room in your home or apartment with these easy DIY steps and brighten up any space in no time
By Lindsey Mather and Elizabeth Stamp
All products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Learning how to paint a room properly is essential for beginning DIY’ers, new homeowners, and veteran home improvement experts alike. After all, it’s pretty painless, relatively inexpensive, and—should something go horribly wrong—easy to fix. But before you grab your roller and get started with your first coat, it’s essential to have a plan of attack. So we asked a handful of experts for their best painting tips and tricks to get you started. Read on to learn how to paint a room and see step-by-step what you’ll need to do to make sure your project is a success.
While San Francisco based designer Nicole Hollis may have turned heads for painting the exterior of her home jet black, we're prone to the moody blue she chose from Farrow & Ball for the bar.Douglas Friedman
1. Plan your approach
Start by thinking about how you want the finished project to look and remember that you’re not limited to four walls or an entire room in the same color. Consider painting an accent wall in a bold hue or highlighting moldings in a contrasting shade or finish. And don’t forget to look up and see whether the ceiling could use a refresh as well.
Alexander Gorlin used Parma Gray by Farrow & Ball on an accent wall in a New York apartment.
2. Choose your color
Browsing through fan decks and paint chips can be overwhelming. Start by figuring out the general color characteristics: Do you want a warm or cool shade? Neutral or saturated? If you have existing furniture or art, you’ll also want to consider how the shade will complement them. Once you have a sense of what you’re looking for, pick a few shades and get samples—lots of direct-to-consumer brands, like Backdrop and Clare, will send you adhesive swatches you can slap on the wall for a better sense of shade (and it’ll save you a trip to the store). Test the colors to see how they look in the room at different times of day.
Many paint companies also have tools on their websites that will let you upload a photo of your space and preview different colors on the walls. But colors can look different in real-world conditions, so you’ll still need to try it out in the space.
Test samples of your color choices in the room to see how they look in different lighting conditions.
Photo: Richard Drury/Getty Images
3. Pick out your tools and materials
Every project is unique and you may need different tools depending on the paint you choose and the condition of your walls, but there are a few must-haves:
- Paint
- Paint roller
- Paint roller extension pole
- Drop cloths
- Paintbrushes
- Paint tray
- Sandpaper
- Painter’s tape
- Rags
- Putty knife
Click here for a shopping list to order all the paint supplies you’ll need to get started—from sanding and priming to your very last touch-ups.
Gather all the essential tools before you start.
Photo: Anika Salsera/Getty Images
4. Determine how much paint you’ll need
Whether you’re painting a powder room or the exterior of your house, the general rule of thumb is one gallon per 400 square feet, says Carl Minchew, vice president of color innovation and design at Benjamin Moore. But that’s just a rough guideline: To get a more precise number, which you’ll definitely want for large projects, use a paint calculator like the ones provided by Benjamin Moore or Pratt & Lambert; they take into account window and door measurements. (And both assume two coats of paint per project.)
Most Popular
Planning on whitewashing a charcoal gray wall? You’ll likely need additional paint when going from dark to light. On the other end of the spectrum, a deep color base tends to require more coats of paint than a lighter color, says Carolyn Noble, color marketing and design manager at Pratt & Lambert. She recommends applying a gray-tinted primer to the surface before you paint your walls a saturated color to help reduce the number of applications. When it comes to finish, you may have heard that the glossier it is, the higher the coverage rate, but it’s not enough of a difference to change the number of gallons you need to buy, Minchew says.
If you’re painting a highly textured surface rather than a smooth one, buy a little extra, says Julianne Simcox, Pratt & Lambert associate brand manager. Cabinets with complicated millwork require more paint, too; Minchew suggests purchasing about 10% more than calculated.
Calculate the correct amount of paint you’ll need to spare yourself trips back to the store and wasted paint.
Photo: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg/Getty Images
5. Prep the walls and the room
You don’t want to damage your favorite sofa or that heirloom Grandma gave you, so empty the room of all the furniture. If you don’t have enough space to relocate everything you own, push it all to the center of the room. Cover the pieces with a drop cloth or lightweight plastic sheeting and do the same with the floor, as well as any cabinetry or countertops that might be in danger of excess splatter. “Don’t skip the drop cloth—paint will splatter, we promise,” say New Jersey contractors—and cousins—John Colaneri and Anthony Carrino, the stars of the HGTV series Cousins Undercover and Kitchen Cousins as well as The Build Up and Grand Design on Ellen DeGeneres’s Ellentube.
Grab a roll of painter’s tape—the cousins recommend FrogTape—and firmly apply it to the edges of the room’s corners, base and crown moldings, and door and window casings, using a putty knife to seal if needed. “Getting a good seal so paint doesn’t get under the tape is everything, plus it will pull away clean after everything is dry,” Colaneri and Carrino say. If you dare (or have an artist’s steady hand), you can skip taping entirely. Remove light switch and outlet covers and apply painter’s tape to protect outlets and switches from paint drips. Before you get started, make sure you know how to repair drywall so you can clean up any nicks in the walls.
Most Popular
Protect floors and furniture with drop cloths.
Photo: Patti McConville/Getty Images
6. Mix your paint
Use a wooden paint stick to stir the paint, and re-stir often throughout the project. Paint that isn’t stirred consistently can lead to the ingredients separating and you’ll risk compromising the true color you’re going for. If you’re using more than one gallon of paint, combine the cans in a large bucket in case there is a slight variation in color.
Mix your paint early and often.
Photo: Tetra Images/Getty Images
7. Pick your painting techniques
Your paint is mixed and your roller is at the ready, but make sure to plan a strategy before you get started. Work from the top of the room down, starting with the ceilings. Planning a bold focal wall? Paint the adjoining light-colored walls first. “Don’t worry if you get paint on what will be your accent wall—the dark paint will cover up whatever lighter paint found its way there. After the lighter wall dries, tape off that edge so the dark color doesn’t bleed onto your new paint,” Colaneri and Carrino advise. If you’re covering up dark walls with a brighter hue, plan on three coats: your primer, plus two coats of the new color to ensure nothing shows through.
Most Popular
Tackle one wall at a time. Take a brush and “cut in”—paint along the molding and the corners from top to bottom—while your painting companion uses a roller to cover the main expanse of the wall, staying away from those more precise spots. When applying paint with the roller, use long strokes in a W pattern for ample coverage (and to avoid those pesky roller marks). Once the wall is dry to the touch, it’s ready for a second coat.
If you are painting the trim, remove the painter’s tape and wait for the walls to dry before applying tape to the walls. Start with the trim closest to the ceiling, move on to door and window frames, and, finally, the baseboards.
Start by cutting in near moldings and corners with a brush.
Photo: Banks Photos/Getty Images
8. Don’t forget ventilation
Watching paint dry is no fun. Make sure your space is well ventilated throughout the project by opening windows and using fans. “Keeping the room warm and a fan blowing definitely helps speed up the drying process,” the cousins say. “If it’s a damp day, it will take much longer for the paint to dry.”
Open a window or use a fan for ventilation.
Photo: Stephen Simpson/Getty Images
9. Clean up
You’ve done multiple coats, but it’s not time to relax just yet. Remove all the painter’s tape and gather drop cloths, making sure any spills or splatters are dry before you move them. For latex- and water-based paints, clean brushes with soapy water, though oil-based paints will require mineral spirits. You can use a painter’s brush to clean and reshape bristles. If you want to reuse roller covers, use the curved edge of a 5-in-1 tool to remove the excess paint under running water (they’re also useful for opening a paint can, removing nails, and scraping).
Most Popular
Clean brushes with soap and water if you used latex- or water-based paints.
Photo: Ableimages/David Harrigan/Getty Images
10.
Give yourself enough timeThe amount of time your project will take depends on the size of your room, how you’re painting, and your skill level. For instance, using a dark shade on the walls and painting the ceiling and trim will take longer than just doing the walls in a neutral color. While some spaces can be done in a few hours, others may take several days. Be sure to budget more time than you think the job will need and don’t forget to take prep and cleanup into account.
Shopping guide
ExplorerenovationDecoratingpaintDIYAD It Yourself
Read Moread-it-yourself
How to Dispose of Paint the Responsible Way
You know not to dump old paint in a landfill, but what should you do with it instead? Here, some earth-friendly paint disposal tips
By Jennifer Beck Goldblatt
80+ selected photos and contemporary examples of finishes
Pros and cons of painted walls
At first glance, this is the easiest type of wall decoration, the market offers a wide range of interior paints that are odorless and dry quickly. There are some things to consider when painting walls.
Advantages:
- large selection, use of color;
- no harmful fumes when drying interior paint;
- you can paint the walls yourself;
- A simple decor can be made using a template and texture roller.
Disadvantages:
- wall preparation is more difficult;
- emphasizes the unevenness of the wall;
- when re-painting, the previous layer will need to be removed.
The photo shows a gray bedroom with a brick wall and smooth plastered walls, red decor is a bright accent of the interior.
Paints
Alkyd paints
- Paint based on alkyd resin, used for painting wood and metal, plaster. After drying, they do not harm health, do not let in moisture and do not change color.
- Oily dries for a long time due to the oil base on drying oil, it is used for outdoor work due to harmful fumes. Over time, yellowness appears in color.
- Enamel has a distinct gloss due to the lacquer base, it is used for painting any surfaces outside and inside the room. Protects against corrosion, resistant to light and damp environments.
Emulsion paints
Economical in application, other types of paints can be used over them, they do not have an unpleasant odor.
- Acrylic is applied to well-dried walls, suitable for painting walls in rooms with low humidity. Gives in to a good tinting, keeps the color and under the sun. It does not allow steam and moisture to pass through, it is better than others resistant to mechanical stress.
- Latex resistant to washing and friction, dries quickly, hides small cracks, used for painting wallpaper, plaster, brick. May change color when exposed to sunlight.
- Water-based emulsion loses its brightness over time due to washing off of color, is suitable for creating relief and texture, has high strength and hides small cracks, reinforcing them.
- Silicone based on silicone resins has high ductility, forms a waterproof film, hides small cracks, is applied to any surface. It is compatible with other emulsion paints and does not allow the development of bacteria.
Textured paint
Looks unusual compared to ordinary painted walls, suitable for interior decoration and creating a unique interior. It happens on a mineral, silicone, acrylic basis.
Apply with a sponge, dipping, if the area to be painted is small, with a textured hard roller with teeth, an adhesive comb, a metal spatula. The relief is created by filler particles.
Combination with other materials
In the interior, 2-3 types of wall decoration are often used in order to diversify the design.
Wallpaper and painting
Combined in the case of finishing the ceiling with wallpaper and the walls with paint, creating an accent on the painted wall, combinations bottom - paint, top - wallpaper. There are also special wallpapers for painting, which can be repainted several times.
Wall mural and painting
Used in the kitchen, corridor and toilet. The walls are exposed to moisture, so photo wallpapers are used for decoration.
In the photo, the interior of the bedroom with photo wallpapers and neutral walls, the podium serves as a closet.
Plastering and painting
Plastering can be painted on top of the bark beetle to give relief to the walls, or combined with painted adjacent walls in the interior of the toilet, kitchen and hallway.
Wood and painting
A wooden wall made of beams or laminate is combined with a plain wall painting in the interior of an attic, living room, country house.
Stone and paint
Suitable for a fireplace wall in a living room, country style kitchen or chalet, where the backsplash is made of cut stone, and the rest of the walls are painted in a solid or transitional color. Brick and painting are suitable for decorating a Provence or loft style kitchen.
Brick and painting
Brick can be white or red, and the paint is the same as the brick, or different in color.
The photo shows an eco-kitchen with olive walls and a brick wall.
3d panels and painting
3d panels are suitable for simple but unusual interior design. Plain walls with volumetric panels are suitable for a discreet and stylish design, while two-tone painted walls with color panels look good in a nursery or in an abstract interior.
Design options
Plain walls are chosen for discreet interiors, such walls serve as a neutral canvas for expressing style in furniture and accessories.
Painting with two different colors
Painting walls with two different colors is a smart way to visually enlarge a room, change the perception of the geometry of asymmetrical walls, or just to emphasize one wall. One wall can be painted with two different colors.
Painting in different colors (more than two)
Painting with several colors in one range or a combination of contrasting colors will become an independent decor in the interior. It can be stripes, vertical or horizontal separation of walls, painting all 4 walls in different colors. Within the same room, it is better to make one color the main one, and leave the remaining 2-3 colors as auxiliary.
In the photo, one of the walls is painted with uneven geometric stripes in three colors using masking tape.
Stencils
You can design your own with stencils and templates by cutting them out of paper and attaching them to the wall. You can also draw borders for the design using masking tape glued to the dried base color.
Stripe design
Paint stripes elongate or expand walls, changing the perception of a room depending on the location, color and frequency of the stripes.
Patterns and ornaments
Suitable for a nursery, you can draw a house, a fence, trees, ethnic ornaments, monograms on the walls of the child's bedroom interior.
Streaks
May be organized or chaotic, created with a brush on wet wall paint.
Cracks or craquelure effect
Created using acrylic paint and craquelure varnish, the more varnish, the deeper the cracks. The roller during application must be held vertically so that the cracks are uniform.
In the photo, the accent wall of the bedroom is made in the technique of cracked paint with a backing to match the walls.
Brick effect
Imitation of brick can be done with plaster on a lined wall and traced seams on wet material. After the plaster has dried, 2 coats of paint are applied.
Square painting
Can be done with templates or masking tape. Squares can be plain or colored, of different sizes and positions on the wall.
Texture design
Created by painting the walls with textured paint, which contains acrylic particles and starch. It happens in a dry and liquid state, it can also be tinted. Applied with regular or textured roller. For interior design, a special textured paint for interior work is suitable.
Gradient and ombre
Suitable for visually increasing the ceiling, if the dark color near the floor fades into white. A gradient or a smooth transition of color can be horizontal and vertical, with a transition to an adjacent wall. It is created with 2 or more colors, where at the junction of colors, using a dry roller or brush, a dark color is stretched onto a light zone in one direction.
The photo shows an ombre-painted partition wall with a smooth smoky transition from gray to white closer to the ceiling.
Using a textured roller or sponge
Effects with a textured roller or sponge are made on a uniformly painted wall, creating the effect of watercolor, bark beetle, waves, cracks, velor or mosaic.
Painting
Artistic painting in ethnic technique, depicting a view of nature, animals and reproductions will become an individual feature of the interior with wall painting.
Design with moldings or panels
Creates the effect of niches or furniture fronts, adds volume. Molding can be colored or white, made of wood, duropolymer, gypsum.
Wall paint color
White
Often used on its own in Scandinavian and other modern interiors, it is also a companion to bright, warm and cool colors.
Beige
It does not draw attention to itself, it acts as a background for furniture, used in classic and modern design. It is combined with white, gold and black painting.
The photo shows a kitchen interior with a white matte set and beige walls, where a light laminate matches the paint tone.
Brown
Brown in the hue of coffee, chocolate, with wood texture is combined with other natural colors, stone in the interior.
Green
Green in shades of ocher and pistachio soothes, suitable for the bedroom and hall. Light green and herbal are bright colors, suitable for a nursery, kitchen. It is combined with raspberry, brown, yellow, white.
Gray
Used as a background for loft style and modern interiors, combined with red, black and white, carrot orange.
Blue
Ideal for bedrooms, nurseries in classic and nautical style. It is also a common wall color in the bathroom.
The photo shows a gray-blue interior with plain walls and classic shelves. The green accent makes the living room brighter.
Blue
Suitable for southern rooms with an abundance of summer sunshine, combined with green, white, blue and red.
Yellow
Yellow for sunny interiors or rooms with poor lighting, combined with orange, green, white.
Lilac
Creates a Provence atmosphere in the kitchen, suitable for any room and combined with natural pastel colors.
Violet
Like a magical amethyst, it draws attention to the interior, is used in spacious rooms or combined with white wall paint.
Red
As the most active and energetically independent color, it does not need to be supplemented, but if the apartment is small, it is better to combine red with gold, beige, white. Against its background, white furniture or a set looks good.
Pictured is a two-tone painting with a tomato red accent wall, which has shelves and a chest of drawers made of natural wood.
Orange
Like yellow, it adds color to the interior, it is combined with all shades of green, black, gray. Used for balcony, bathroom, hallway.
Pink
Pink in pale shades is used for the interior of the bedroom, nursery, they draw stripes and patterns using a stencil. Combines with pale blue, white, black, lemon.
Black
In the interior, it often acts as a delineation or as a pattern, a companion color, it is used independently in large rooms and acts as a backdrop for light furniture.
Features of painting walls of different materials
Wooden walls
Painted wooden walls not only look aesthetically pleasing, but also prolong the life of the wood. From interior doors or walls made of wood, before painting, you need to remove the old coating and treat it with stain. After drying, 1-2 layers of alkyd or acrylic paint are applied.
Pictured is a pale yellow painted wood paneling in a classic bedroom interior with gray baseboards and light flooring.
Brick walls
Before painting, clean and wash with water, a week after that all moisture will come out and it will be possible to prime the surface and paint the brick with interior acrylic or alkyd paint. You can age the brick or create smudges. You can use a contrasting color for the seam.
Concrete walls
Before painting, clean, make the surface even and free from cracks, prime, allow to dry and apply epoxy or latex. A second layer must be applied immediately to the entire surface of the wall so that there are no differences in shade.
Wallpaper
Paintable wallpaper is convenient in that it can be repainted without driving the pigment into the walls. Such wallpaper can also be removed without grinding and cleaning the surface. Wallpaper paint is water-based without solvents. Textured wallpapers make it easier to work and hide the unevenness of the walls.
Gypsum board
Gypsum board on a wall or ceiling is painted after the joints and all drywall have been puttied, sanded and primed. Use acrylic or silicone paint, which is plastic and creates a protective film.
Plaster
Plaster must be painted on a clean, dry surface. If chips were noticed during the preparation of the wall, they need to be cleaned and compacted. It is painted with a roller in 2 layers with maximum filling of the pores.
Photos in the interior of the rooms
Kitchen
The kitchen, as a room where the walls need to be cleaned, needs water-based painting with acrylic or latex paints. Neutral colors, contrasting or matching the headset are suitable for the kitchen interior.
Children's room
Children's room can be painted with special marking paints, they are water-based and dry quickly. There are also paints with silver ions that do not absorb moisture and allow you to paint on top of ordinary watercolors. Color stencil designs, stripes, patterns, letters and numbers will do. The interior can be easily replaced by painting the walls in a new color.
Living room
Living room as a space for creativity, can combine stone finishes and painted walls, several colors and different designs. Suitable water-soluble, textured painting or a combination of colors in the interior.
The photo shows a living room interior with a wooden ceiling and plain light walls in a country style with an emphasis on furniture from different categories and color palettes.
Bedroom
The bedroom has a calm atmosphere and cozy interior, so you need to choose neutral, natural colors. In the interior, it is better to avoid bright colors or use them as an accent on the wall at the head of the bed. Suitable stencil drawing, textured painting, stripes and ornaments.
Bathroom and toilet
Bathroom and toilet as wet rooms should be painted with acrylic, latex, silicone paint. Oil painting is not recommended due to the high drying time and harmful odour. You need to paint those areas that do not get water, the area near the sink and bathroom needs to be tiled.
Traditionally, the interior uses a combination of blue and white, white and orange or yellow. For the toilet, painting can be combined with vinyl or photo wallpaper.
Balcony or loggia
Balcony or loggia must be protected with paint from corrosion and fungus. For the interior of an open balcony or loggia, which is separated from the apartment, only paint for outdoor use is suitable. For wooden lining, water-based paints are suitable, for brick or plastic - varnish.
It is often stuffy on the balcony, so a cold palette of colors is suitable, white and orange are also used. When painting, it is important to choose a sunny day without a rain forecast.
Entrance hall
Entrance hall or hallway can be painted in ombre technique with the transition of orange to white ceiling. Water-based paints of light shades are used, a combination with decorative stone or textured plaster. A narrow corridor can be expanded with 2-3 horizontal stripes.
Decor styles
Modern
The style uses a single or two-tone wall painting, combining white with another color. In the interior of the nursery, bright details are used in stripes, drawings on the wall. The emphasis is on practicality, so an unobtrusive palette and combinations are used.
Minimalism
Minimalism can be seen in solid colors, combinations of gray or pale blue with white, decor with wide stripes. Sometimes the interior uses contrasting molding or textured paint.
Loft
The interior is not limited to a specific color palette, the design is used more often only on an accent wall. Also, brickwork can be painted in ombre technology.
Classic
In the interior it is expressed in a neutral light background with golden, white monograms, in blue or black ornament, which is emphasized by tassels and fringes on velvet curtains of emerald or ruby color.
Provence
Provence or French summer gloss of the interior is recognizable in pink, mint or blue walls, olive shade of curtains and textiles. Walls in the interior can be plain or striped. To create individuality, you can make an artistic painting on the wall in the form of an open window on the summer fields of Provence.
Pictured is a turquoise Provence-style bedroom with plain walls, classic furniture and floral textiles.
Country
The interior uses a combination of natural timber or stone with brown, mustard, whitewash textured paint.
Scandinavian
The interior is as practical and bright as possible, so the walls are creamy, white, less often - sand, blue. Stripes, molding, 3D panels, a white brick wall are suitable for decoration.
Wall painting as one of the types of finishing is used not only for external, but also for internal work due to paints that are odorless, dry quickly and do not harm health.
Photo gallery
110 photos and videos description of how to choose and apply paint correctly
An easy way to change the interior of a living space is to paint the walls. Today, there is a large selection of different paints on sale, many types of colors, so many people choose this particular material for repairs.
You can paint a room yourself without involving expensive specialists in this work.
Where to start
The beginning of painting the walls in the room will be the choice of type, brand, color of paint. Manufacturers make several types of this material for interior work.
It is important to decide what kind of paint, what brand you need to purchase. Plus, it is worth calculating how many liters it will take to process the room.
Types of paint for interior work
Manufacturers of paint and varnish products produce environmentally friendly material for interior work, odorless.
In hardware stores you can find:
- Alkyd;
- Oily;
- Emulsion;
- Enamel;
- Textured.
Each of these types of paint has its own varieties, differing in quality and price. Most often, water-based paint is used for painting walls.
Why many people choose water-based emulsion
The main advantage of this paint is its affordable price. The solvent for it is ordinary water, so it has no smell.
Its main features:
- can be easily applied to any surface;
- safe for allergy sufferers;
- makes walls breathe;
- dries quickly.
Goes well with wallpaper, decorative plaster, wood, stone. Emulsion paints are suitable for interior and exterior processing. Easily mixed with the color scheme, create a huge range of different shades.
Varieties of water-based paint
Water-based paint is suitable for painting walls and ceilings in rooms with any humidity.
Used for processing in bathrooms, kitchens. It is divided into types:
- Acrylic - resistant to ultraviolet, mechanical stress;
- Silicone - protects the surface from moisture, prevents mold;
- Latex - creates a protective film on the surface, resistant to moisture, washing.
In terms of price / quality ratio, it ranks first among facing materials. Hides small cracks on the walls, strengthens their foundation.
How to choose the right color, drawing
Photos of wall painting will help you choose the right color for the room. A plain room in warm colors will soothe after a hard day's work. Creates a calm, relaxing atmosphere. Solid color design is suitable for bedrooms.
Two-color walls, visually increase the size of the room, highlight the desired areas in the apartment. Painting with three or more colors will make the room bright and attractive.
Bright colors are pleasing to the eye, have a positive effect on mood and well-being. You can choose a suitable wall painting design by comparing various photos of the finished finish, choosing the most suitable option for yourself.
Make an apartment in your own style
In addition to one-, two-, three-color painting options, you can make your own, unique style. Having taken several types of color, having prepared several clean buckets, you can get to work.
To make walls and ceilings a real masterpiece, you need to transfer the idea of decorative wall painting onto a piece of paper. When the layout is ready, you can safely get to work.
Varieties of original processing
There are many ways to paint your apartment in an unusual way. Ready-made ideas can be changed to get your own unique design.
Ways of original design painting:
- ornaments, patterns, squares;
- longitudinal lines in two colors;
- textured, textured painting;
- painted with drawings;
- vibrant gradients.
Ready-made stencils for painting walls are also often used, which you can make yourself or buy. They are made from paper, cut out suitable patterns on it and glued to the wall.
Beautiful, cozy room - the result of the effort
It is not at all difficult to paint the walls with your own hands. Having in stock several ready-made design options, suitable material, you can safely realize your dreams.
The result will be an attractive, cozy atmosphere in the apartment that will delight you and your guests for years to come.