There’s nothing wrong with having smooth textured walls in a solid color. But in many cases, having zero texture on your walls can make rooms look flat and dull. If you want to add texture, depth, and personality to your room without relying on traditional texturing methods, learn about some of the best decorative paint techniques to use on your walls. These techniques are a simple and affordable way to transform your interior design and make your walls stand out.
Strié
Two other words may have popped to mind upon hearing the word strié—streaking and striation, which are both fancy ways to describe paper-thin stripes or lines. Strié is a technique that creates lines (either horizontal or vertical) on the wall to make it resemble linen material.
You can create the strié effect by using a finish in a contrasting color to your base coat. Take a large, long-bristled brush and drag the bristles from top to bottom using long and light strokes. Each new section you do should slightly overlap the last one.
Color Wash
The color wash technique is ideal for spaces you want to imbue with softness, warmth, and charm. It’s perfect for dining rooms or any other room where friends and family like to convene. Color washing refers to the process of thinning or lightening a paint with glaze to create a “wash” of color that overlays on top of existing colors.
To color wash your walls, paint on a base layer of latex or acrylic paint, mix a second (contrasting) paint color with latex glaze, and then use a cloth or sponge to dab the paint and glaze mixture onto the walls in a crosshatch pattern.
Taped
The next best decorative paint technique is the taped technique. Painter’s tape is an incredibly useful and versatile tool. It usually keeps paint from dripping onto the floor, the ceiling, and windows or doorframes when painting walls. But did you know you can also use painter’s tape to create intricate designs?
For a geometric look, arrange paint tape on the wall to create shapes. You can do circles, triangles, squares, or even shapes like nonagons or squircles. Once your design is complete, pick out a few colors and get painting. Let’s say your color scheme is gray, white, and orange. Paint the first shape gray, the second shape white, and the third shape orange. Repeat until all shapes are filled in. Then, remove the painter’s tape. You should do this while the paint is still damp. Then, you have a cool geometric and modern design.
Need help with interior painting in Portland, Oregon? JK Paint and Contracting’s experienced and trustworthy painters can help you choose the perfect paint colors and design to turn your walls into something stunning. Contact us today to discuss your vision!