It’s finally 2014 and with the budget emptying out after a wonderful holiday season, here are some fun and easy ways a new paint job can update and refresh a space in a big way, while allowing your bank account some time to recuperate.
We’re not just talking about a fresh coat of white paint: these paint jobs can make a big statement and be pieces of artwork on their own. With free tutorials offered online and in some home improvement stores, this once overwhelming task can now become a fun and useful skill. Below are some of my favorite patterns, both subtle and bold. We can start with my number one choice of print: chevron!
CHEVRON
This pattern is one of my personal favorites because it combines strict, clean geometry with busy movement that leads your eye through a space. Depending on the colors and scale you choose, you can make it youthful and funky, modern and chic, or classy and subtle. The trick to this pattern is not only having good clean tape (which is the key to any good paint job!), but you need to have a template. Without that, it becomes tricky to keep the same angle and width and you lose your clean consistency. It’s also best to draw any pattern on the wall before painting. Note that when you are repeating colors, it’s easiest to paint the wall in the lightest color first, then you only have to add the accent color or colors.
MATTE AND GLOSSY
This is another amazing technique that tops my favorites list! Often times, people turn to bright contrasting colors to make things interesting. But that is only one way to add contrast: try alternating matte and glossy paints of the same color in a striped pattern, or any pattern you like! The sheens will catch light in different ways and even change with the moving daylight and other lighting. This works with both bright colors and neutrals. When it comes to the direction of your stripe, run it horizontally if you would like to elongate or unite a space and run it vertically if you would like it to look taller or draw your eye upward.
GEOMETRIC SHAPE
For something really unique, skip the repeating pattern and go big and artistic. Random angles and abstract shapes don’t have to look like a Picasso painting covering your wall; just a few outlines or shapes will give the room some excitement and movement. As with all patterns and techniques, the colors you choose will determine the intensity or subtlety of it. One option is to tape off three or four sections of a wall at random angles, then make each section one shade darker than the last. These accents work especially great in dining rooms, entry ways, hallways, offices or anywhere else that has a large empty wall.
PAINT THE CEILING
To finish my list of favorite big impact paint tricks on a high note, try painting your ceiling! First, you have to determine what effect you want to have on the space. For a more dramatic look, go for a darker or saturated color. Don’t be afraid of black! It looks great with white walls. For something softer that will keep the room bright and open, choose a lighter color. For a seamless, neutral scheme, paint the ceiling the same shade or just one shade lighter than your walls. For a clean, contemporary approach, keep you walls white and add a bright pop of color to just the ceiling. Painting your ceiling will add a lot of depth to a space, especially if you have crown molding or soffits. This will also draw a person’s eye upward as they enter a space. While deep or dark colors may make a small room look intimate, you may need to be careful, as the wrong color or a dark shade can make certain rooms seem even smaller and closed in. Make sure you bring in lots of light and textures to help balance this out.
Check out 100 other amazing wall paint ideas that are clean, modern and easy, as long as you have good tape!
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