Fresh strokes
New painting techniques are sure to add polish and liven up your living space.
A fresh coat of paint is a quick way to freshen up a room, but why stop at just slapping on a colour and leaving it at that? Why not try a new technique this summer that’s sure to breathe life into your space? Although wallpaper has made a comeback in recent years as the go- to way to embellish walls, Sharon Grech, a colour and design consultant for Benjamin Moore, says paint offers great flexibility and allows you to have fun adding visual interest in a less permanent way and at a fraction of the cost. Techniques such as strié, colour washing and fresco, along with customized wall art and stencilling, are great ways to add dimension and texture to your space.
Strié
This technique adds a heavy linen look to the wall. After painting your base coat using a pearl finish, mix glazing liquid with your top coat matte colour, which should be a few shades lighter or darker than the base coat, and roll it onto the wall. Then, using a hard scrub brush or straw broom, start at the ceiling and come down the wall vertically, creating a subtle vertical texture.
Colour washing
Create a cloudy effect that works well with pastels, which Grech says are topping the list of popular colours this year. To begin, apply a base colour with a pearl or eggshell finish, then mix a flat or matte paint of your top colour with latex glazing liquid. Using a soft cloth or a sponge ( a cloth will give a more subtle appearance and a sponge a more textured look), apply the mixture to the wall using a circular motion, as though washing the walls.
Fresco
This technique is great for hiding any imperfections in the wall and gives an old parchment paper look, visually conveying the perception of texture without the feel. Apply a base coat with an eggshell finish; mix your top matte coat with a latex glaze and roll the paint randomly on the wall, moving the roller left, right, up and down, being sure to blend any harsh lines with a rag. While these faux- finish techniques may sound easy, Grech recommends practising first. “With any technique, I always recommend doing it on a scrap piece of drywall to make sure you’re comfortable with it,” she says.
Wall art
Large, simple geometric patterns are the latest fad in wall art, says Ottawa interior designer Donna Correy of Kiss Design Group. “Everything about 2013 for walls is large scale, even in smaller rooms.” Correy recommends browsing wallpaper and fabric books to find a pattern that appeals to you. “Paint allows you to play with the scale to fit it to the wall and size of the room and with the colour,” she says. Make a paper template and outline it on your wall with white chalk. To avoid making patterns overwhelming, Correy recommends applying the pattern to one wall as an accent and keeping 80 to 90 per cent of the room in the base colour. The wall you choose should be one that isn’t broken up by doors or windows.
Stencilling
While some faux finishes require an artistic touch, even a novice painter can excel at stencilling. “Stencilling is a very easy do- it- yourself project,” Grech says. Stencils can be purchased from any arts and crafts store or downloaded online and may be applied to walls, furniture and make a great kitchen backsplash.
Colour
While these techniques work with any colour, Grech says pastels top the trends in 2013. Lemon Sorbet, a lemony- yellow pastel, was chosen as Benjamin Moore’s colour of the year, for instance. Other popular colours are coral, pale pink, pale orange, turquoise and greyish blue, representing the colour of beach glass. If you’re not sure which colour to choose for your wall, check your closet. Grech says there’s a crossover between fashion and paint, with paint colours being influenced by the runway. If you like it on your body, chances are you will like it on your walls.