Tips on Marbling Paint and Other Wall Paint Ideas

A mural doesn’t have to be intricate. Skip complex scenes and go abstract instead. Use lines and basic shapes like circles, squares, dashes and squiggles in complementary colors. It’s a clever way to use up leftover paint. Or try your hand at painting organic shapes like leaves or nature-inspired themes. They don’t need to be perfect, just inspired.

Always start by sketching your design on your phone or a piece of paper. Once you’re satisfied, use chalk to draw the design on the wall. It’s easier to erase than pencil. If you’re worried about a steady hand, a two-foot level helps you draw straight lines. Once you’ve got your sketch on the wall, paint the outline of the shapes first. To avoid drips, don’t overload your brush. Then paint the inside of the shapes with a mini roller.

Marbling adds texture to your room using paint. Most people associate marbling paint with the sponge look of the 90s. Today it’s more subtle. To avoid a dated look, layer more than two colors and use neutrals.

Take a few tips on marbling paint from our series, The Weekender. This technique works well if your goal is a subtle accent wall. Start with a white base color, choose three paint colors like white, off-white and pale gray. Use a natural sponge paint roller to apply paint to the wall. It’s faster than pressing a natural sponge to the wall and creates a more organic look.

One stripe or a wall full of stripes, this paint idea adds movement and playfulness to a room. It does require some prep work, though. To figure out the stripe width, choose a number of stripes that can be divided evenly by your wall’s height (for horizontal stripes) or width (for vertical stripes). So if your ceiling height is 96 inches and your stripes are 12 inches, you’ll have eight stripes. Keep in mind that an odd number of painted stripes helps you get a stripe at the ceiling or edge of each wall.

Use a measuring tape to measure and mark the width of each stripe and the distance between them. To create a straight line, use a two-foot level to connect your measurement marks. Use a pencil and a light hand to draw your lines.

Then use your favorite brand of painter’s tape and apply it to the wall. To ensure a tight seal, run your thumb over the edge of the tape. Use the tape on every other drawn line and place the tape on the outside of your pencil line. Then paint every other stripe. Depending on the width of your stripe, a regular-size roller might be unwieldy. Try a mini roller instead. It might take a little longer, but you’ll have more control. Remove the painter’s tape while it’s still wet, pulling at a 45-degree angle.

If you love the look of pattern but don’t want to commit to wallpaper, this might be the project for you. The goal here is not a perfect, symmetrical creation. The beauty is in the organic look of hand-painted elements. Dream big. Try painting abstract confetti-style dot lines, stars or a pattern of dashed lines.

To keep the process from being overwhelming, treat your wall as a grid. Work in small sections so it’s easier to figure out placement. You can use a small, one-inch angled paintbrush or even a smaller craft paint brush to create most patterns. Work on one section at a time. Stop painting when you get tired. Doing small sections over several days gives you time to decide if you like the pattern and direction. Remember, it doesn’t need to be symmetrical or follow any rules, that’s the beauty of this concept.

Have you ever thought about using bold, geometric shapes to frame home décor pieces? Painted arches, squares, ovals and circles in complementary paint colors are interesting ways to add architectural details to a room. They can be used to highlight a bed, a bookshelf, a wall sconce or artwork.

Getting the perfect circle or a rounded arch top is as simple as using a nail and a string. Tie the string around your pencil and a nail. Place the nail in the center of your circle, and adjust the length of string to your desired circle size. Pull the string taut to draw your circle with the pencil. If you want to see how it’s done, check out this episode of Showroom Steals.