A Splash of Colour To Cheer Your World

A good design “happens,” perhaps only in nature. Everywhere else, good design is a process of intentionally selecting and organizing materials and objects in an aesthetically pleasing manner. This is true in the case of wall décor too.

By Tranquil Samuel

And if you want to add speed, ease and economic feasibility to the “Process”, there is nothing like paint. Alter the look or mood of a room by the use of paint, and see an enclosed space magically transformed. If you happen to tire of the look in a few years, why, you can just as easily use paint to get your rooms a new look!

Paint can be used very creatively to lend new vitality and depth to your walls. Before trying out the techniques mentioned here, consider the decorating style that you have in mind for your home – contemporary, country, regional or eclectic?

Also check out the quantity and quality of light that enters the room. Another important factor that would dictate the appropriate paint techniques would be the room’s use.

5 Ways to Dress up Your Walls

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Painting with Stencils: Stencils can be used to create borders along the ceiling line or at chair-rail height. They can also be used to paint motifs on to cupboard doors or a cabinet, or around a window frame. Today, there is a wide selection of pre-cut stencils available. However, you can make your own too, especially if you want to match a decorative element already present in the room. This way you can unify the decoration of the room with a particular theme.

Using paint to create Trompe-l’oœil: Trompe-l’oœil, which means ‘deceive the eye’ in the French language, is an art technique of painting objects with a skill that gives them a 3D effect. These can be painted on to walls as well as ceilings. A most interesting possibility is to paint objects which are interspersed with real objects. For example, on a single shelf, you can keep an antique jar and a candle stand, and in between these, paint a vine on the wall directly behind the shelf with some of the stems falling downwards from the shelf. The 3D effect is created using special techniques of contours as well as shadows. The painting is best done by a professional.

Ragging: This type of wall décor is beginning to catch on in a big way. One of the attractions of this type of wall decorating with paint is the do-it-yourself element in it. The technique consists of pressing a soft cotton rag, onto a paint-wet surface to make a textured impression. You can “rag on” by applying one or more colours to the surface with a rag, or you can “rag off” using the rag to lift off wet paints. A soft cotton cloth works best as it does not form hard edges to the design. Experiment by varying the pressure on the rag.

Creating impressions on walls: This, like ragging, also has a do-it-yourself possibility. You can use a feather, a plastic wrap or even butter paper to create impressions on a wall by using them to either apply or lift off paint. Each impression created is unique, yet, they retain a uniformity of texture which is very pleasing to the eye. Glazed paints are suitable for this technique. Paints are also available that readily create such an impression.

Colour-washing: A simple technique that can be done with glazed paints. This involves building up very thin layers of translucent colour for a rich warm glow. A very apt style for a country-style décor, the results are best when you apply thinner coats. You can use variations of the same colour or different but related colours. A light coloured coat applied over a darker colour gives a crumbly and aged effect. A dark colour over a lighter colour produces a magical translucent appearance. This technique emphasises any imperfections on the wall so it forms a good wall décor when you are looking for a rustic look.

This post has been sponsored by Asian Paints.

 Pic credit: Bernat Casero

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