ShareThisBy SHARI HILLER
HGTV
Monday, May 07, 2007
Do you have a bathroom that could use a little pizzazz? A wall mural could certainly jazz it up!
My decorating partner, Matt Fox, and I have noticed that bathrooms tend to be the most overlooked room in the home decorating process. Too often they are considered complete with just a coat of paint and coordinating towels.
Some people, of course, take bathroom decorating one step further and hang wallpaper. Unfortunately, papering a bathroom is not without some problems. Although wallpaper is a great choice for the bath, it can be very pricey. And it can be difficult to paper bathrooms because they are often rather small and cramped. Wallpaper can also be a concern in rooms with high humidity.
Matt and I think wall murals are a great alternative to plain paint or wallpaper in a bathroom. They are inexpensive, long lasting and fairly easy to complete.
The first step in creating a wall mural is the selection of the design. You can find inspiration in a variety of sources. Check out coloring books, greeting cards or magazines for some simple ideas.
You can even use one of your favorite photos as a pattern for a wall mural. Many photo software programs include a feature that allows you to instantly create a line drawing from a photo.
Over the years Matt and I have designed numerous wall murals and have discovered a few tips to help you pick the perfect design.
The most important aspect to creating a great wall mural is to pick a design that is basically the same shape as the area to be painted. If you have a wall area that is 5 feet wide and 8 feet tall, tall, be sure to pick a vertical design. If, however, you have a wider area, you might want to choose a more design.
After you've chosen your design, it's time to prepare the wall surface. Thoroughly wash the wall and allow it to dry completely. Apply a fresh coat of primer. If your design has large areas of a single color (for example, a blue sky), use latex paint instead of primer and you'll save a lot of time and effort.
Once the base coat is completely dry, it's time to transfer your design to the wall. There are several ways to accomplish this task.
If you want a quick and easy way to transfer your design, try using an overhead projector. Simply take your design to a copy center and make a black and white copy large enough so that all details can be easily seen.
Once you are satisfied with your print, copy it onto a piece of transparency film. Using an overhead projector, project your design onto the wall area. It may be necessary to move the projector forward or back several times before you achieve a satisfying placement. Once you're happy with the design size and placement, mark the position of the projector on the floor with masking tape. That way if the projector moves unexpectedly, you will be able to reposition it quickly and easily.
To transfer the design to the wall, use a soft lead pencil and simply trace the design. Before long, you'll have your entire design set and ready to go.
If you don't have access to an overhead projector, you might want to try transferring your design using a grid method. Once you've made and photocopied your design, use a ruler to draw an evenly spaced grid across the surface and then create a proportional grid on your wall surface. Then, using the grid on your design as a guide, transfer the design to your walls. Be sure to use a soft lead pencil in case you have to correct any errors.
Now comes the fun part, painting the design on your wall. Some people use acrylic paints, but Matt and I prefer using wall paint. This used to be a problem when the smallest quantity of paint was a quart, but it's not a problem anymore since sample sizes are available in a multitude of colors.
You'll need a large paintbrush and several smaller artists' brushes to complete your project. Use the large flat brush to apply paint to large areas.
To blend colors or create shadows, paint one color on top of another before the bottom color has a chance to dry. You can use a round artist's brush to create details or outline objects, or you might even try a fine tip permanent marker if you find your hand is a bit shaky.
Once your mural is painted, it's sometimes fun to add some three-dimensional objects to give your design even more depth and character. For our beach design, we placed several lizards in the palm tree to complete our project.
Painting wall murals are so much fun they can be addictive. But that's not a problem since there are so many other areas of your home perfect for murals. There's the entry hall, laundry room and even the garage. Happy painting!
(Matt Fox and Shari Hiller, authors of "Matt and Shari's Great Weekend Projects (DRG Publishers), also appear together frequently on HGTV. For more on Matt Fox & Shari Hiller, visit www.hgtv.com or www.mattandshari.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)
