HG Openhouse Blog

So, your walls are looking a little bare and uninteresting. But, the decorating budget is low-to-no.  What can you do to add a little pizzazz to the place? For that, perfect penny pinching powerful punch, pick…PAINT!  Nothing makes more of an impact, and shakes up a room better than paint.  

Paint’s great, but it still can be a little pricey (we’re trying to pinch pennys here). So, here are a few wall painting ideas that will normally use only a quart of paint or less. If you don’t want to buy paint, scavenge in your garage for paint you can mixup to make a new color. Or look in the home store for “Opps” paint (paint, no one wanted, except you). Or ask a friend or neighbor if you can have any of their leftover paint. Lots of ways to procure paint. You will also have to scrape up painters tape for the straight-edged techniques, and find some paint brushes or rollers (we all have this stuff in the garage somewhere).  Ideas…

(click on photos to enlarge)

Horizontal stripes always add a graphic statement to a room. This one stars in the center third of the wall. The stripe picks up the pillow colors in the chair. The room looks complete and decorated with the simple stripe on the wall.

Stencil a wall or room. Simple, easy and cheap. You only need one other color to pull this off.  You can measure, or randomly space designs all over the wall.  When you tire of it, just paint over it. You can make your own stencil or buy them. Use a stencil brush and a $2. bottle of craft paint for professional results.

Chalkboard paint adds some fun to a game room or bedroom. Paint your own graffiti wall for a fun way to display and express your thoughts, and you can draw on the wall without getting in trouble. This wall can be, primed and painted over when you want a change. Kids love this.

 Paint window frames  to add a finished and graphic look to plain, hard to drape, windows. These pick up the brown color in the bedding, look like art, and add an architectural element to the room. I love this idea. Simple but super.

Vines and flowers adds a fun focal wall behind a bed. Freehand the design or draw it on newspaper first. Then tape the newspaper to the wall and trace over your design. The ink from the other side of the newspaper will transfer to the wall. Then just paint over the lines with one or two colors.

Diagonal squares accent this wall. This takes a little time and measuring, but if you do only one wall, it makes quite a statement. Cut an exact square out of cardboard and start in the center of the wall. Use a long level to lightly line the squares, tape off and paint. If you look closely, upholstery tacks punctuate all the corners. Details!

Now, go back and visualize all of these rooms without their paint techniques. Pretty boring  huh!  See what the power of paint can do! It doesn’t take much money or artistic talent to transform a plain room into a showstopper. These are just a few of hundreds of ideas you can invent with paint.  Coordinate your paint ideas to the style and colors in the room and you’ll have painting perfection.

The wall is your canvas,  go be the artist!  Any more off-the-wall ideas? Love to hear your successes or your flops!

(model home photos)