HOW TO PAINT AN ARCH
Painting small areas of colour can help to divide up spaces. Radio 1 DJ and Colour of the Year 2021 Ambassador for Brave Ground, Clara Amfo, shows us how to paint an arch design to add a block of colour
Decide on the width of your arch. Once you’ve chosen the size, mark both points where the arch will finish on your wall. Cut a piece of string that’s slightly longer than the height you want your arch to be. Run a piece of chalk along the string so it’s loaded with chalk dust.
Tie a knot at one end of the string, and at the other end, tie something heavy to keep it secure to the floor. Tape the knotted end of the string to one of the end marks you made in step one. Make sure the string is taut, then ‘ping’ the string so that it hits the wall. The chalk dust will mark a straight line. If the line is faint in some areas, ping it again in these places. Repeat for the other side of the arch. Use masking tape to mark the outside of each of the lines.
Cut a shorter piece of string that is at least two-thirds of the width of the arch, then tie a knot at one end. Stick a drawing pin through the knot. Measure the width of the arch and use this measurement to make a mark below the height you want your arch to be. Make another mark at the same height in the centre of the width of the arch. Stick the drawing pin into the wall at this middle point. Tie the chalk to the other end of the string. Use it to help you draw an arch shape that connects the two straight lines.
Paint the inside lines of the arch using a small straight brush, along both the straight and curved sides. Once the lines are done, pour the paint in a tray and fill the arch in using a small roller.
When you’ve filled the inside of the arch, carefully remove the masking tape and you’re done!
The Colour of the Year palettes are sets of colours which all work with the hero colour, Brave Ground. These four palettes are based around the themes identified during the team’s research; this year they’re Expressive, Trust, Timeless and Earth.
The palettes each have 10 colours, more than you would want to use in one room, but enough to play around with. ‘It’s a fantastic toolbox,’ says Marianne, ‘so you can use it to design one room or your whole house by taking that palette and using it to create the same vibe in different rooms.’
Each palette has two halves. One half is five bold and gutsy hues and the other half is a collection of neutral colours. Any combination of these 10 colours will work harmoniously, so you can have fun trying out different options, knowing that all of your choices will work beautifully together.