Color washing your walls makes the space more friendly and inviting. This method of painting has roots in the Tuscan styles of paint and décor. It creates depths in the color and gives you color and texture at the same time.
We talked to some interior decorators and interior design specialists to find out how to color wash walls, and if it were possible to do this as a DIY project, or if you have to hire a professional. The experts explained many aspects of color-washing paint to us and gave us a lot of useful hints, tips, and techniques that will make this process easier for the novice to do.
How to Color Your Wash Walls
Level of Difficulty
According to most of the pros, color washing is not difficult to do. They say the only difficult thing related to this painting process is that you have to apply several coats of paint substances and use clean dry brushes to finish them so your arms may get very tired.
Cost of Process
To complete a room that measures 10’ x 10’ the paints and supplies will cost you about $120 dollars.
How Long Does It Take?
To color wash a 10’ x 10’ room will take you about 10 hours. Those ten hours will be spread out over a 2-day period due to paint curing and things of that nature.
What You Need
Before you can jump right into color washing your walls you have to gather a few supplies. You will need:
- A drop cloth to cover the floor or furnishings in the room
- A putty knife
- A paint roller
- A paint tray
- A paint bucket
- An angled paint brush that is about a 1 ½”
- Polyester or nylon brushes (get several so you always have one clean and dry when you need it)
- Base paint color
- Top paint color
- Glazing compound
You can also read our guide on How to fix painting mistakes on Walls
How to Prepare for Color Wash Paintings
Once you have gathered your supplies it will be time to prepare the room for the process. You need to make sure that the walls are cleaned and free of any dirt, dust, or grime. If you wash the walls make sure that you allow them to dry completely before you start your painting process.
Tape any hardware, windows, and trims that you want to protect from the paint. It is best if you remove outlet covers and switch covers to keep paint from getting on them. Use painter’s tape to cover over the outlet and switch so they do not get paint on them during the process.
Prime the walls with a quality primer. Primer allows the walls to accept the paint more readily so it will take less paint to create the color that you need. Primer also covers stains and it prevents future stains from water, grease, and other things. Primer also smooths out minor imperfections so your surface area is easier to paint.
Allow the primer to cure completely before you begin to apply paint. If the primer label says it dries to the touch in 30 minutes that means that you can touch the surface lightly and the primer will not transfer onto your hands, but that does not mean you can paint over it. The label on the primer container should tell you to wait about one hour before applying a coat of paint.
Step-by-Step Guide on Color Wash Walls
You are now ready to begin the color-washing process.
Base Coat
The first step in color washing is to apply the base coat of paint. Your base coat will be a different color or shade from the topcoat. You want to use regular painting methods and apply the base coat using a roller like you normally would.
This coat must cure completely before you can start to do the creative painting.
Second Coats
When the base coat has cured you are ready to start applying the decorative touch. This decorative touch is created with a method of painting the second color on and then dry-brushing over it for a softer effect.
You will mix two parts of paint with one part of the glaze to create the perfect balance.
The second color of paint is combined with a glaze before it is applied. You are not going to use a roller to apply this combination. You are going to get the angled brush and use it to make a large X in the center of the wall.
Now you will use the same brush to sweep smaller X shapes over and around the X you’ve created. Do not dip your brush in more paint before starting the smaller X creations. You want to use all of the paint that is already on the bristles.
As the brush begins to dry you can dip it into the paint again and continue making the X patterns and dragging the brush on the wall so you are creating choppy, haphazard marks that do not completely cover up the base color you applied. You want the base color showing through the new color.
Pro-Tip
When you are making the small X patterns it is crucial that you stop and step away from the wall so you can check the coverage you are creating and assess whether you need to add a little more paint in some places.
A New Layer of Base Color
You are now going to mix some of the base colors with some glaze and create a two-to-one ratio just like you did with the second color.
You are going to apply this substance in the same X pattern that you used to apply the second color.
Remember that you do NOT want to completely cover the other paint. Let some of it shine through.
You may need help with painting the baseboard with carpet
The Finish
The finishing touch and the part of the process that gives you the look you want are done using DRY paintbrushes.
You do not try to apply the second coat of the base color on the entire surface. You work in four-foot sections. Put the X patterns on top of the second color, and then pick up a dry brush and start stroking over the paint with a light touch.
You want to make long broad strokes with your dry brush. The more times you dry brush the are the more paint will fade or blend so be careful to not take away too much.
The dry brush softens the effect, it blends the colors making the X patterns disappear and leaving a cloud effect of colors on the wall.
Tips from the Pros
- Step back from work often and check the progress. This lets you adjust the thickness or color striations.
- When using the dry brush, you have to stop frequently and remove excess paint. You can grab another dry brush or you can wipe your dry brush across paper towels to try and remove as much paint as possible.
Final Word
This method is often used on textured walls where it is impossible to get a good smooth paint coverage. The faux painting technique provides the walls with interesting color contrasts and creates warmth.
This effect is wonderful for dining rooms, single accent walls, living areas, dens, and bedrooms. Get creative with your color combinations or think about applying the paint using a sponge or bath loofah before you dry-brush the second coat.
