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Cave paintings, dating back thousands of years, depicted images of animals and people and the actions of both. The paint colors were red and black. The red was made from veins of iron ore found in rock. Soot and charred wood provided the black. The pigments were combined with animal fat to make paint.
Wall painting continued to be used for decorative purposes. During the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci painted "The Last Supper" using tempera paint--a mix of egg white, water and pigments.
Oils came into use, and then acrylic. Wall murals evolved into trompe l'oeil, in which the painter seeks to deceive the eye. A trompe l'oeil may depict an entrance to a garden, a window with a stunning view or a table with a vase of flowers set upon it. - Paint serves to enhance a room--to complement an interior design. Painted walls give a finished look and add a dimension of color. Paint also provides an opportunity to express your artistic side. You can paint your walls, your ceilings and even your floors not only with colors, but with designs and patterns as well. Paint is easy to apply and mistakes are easy to correct.
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Accent walls are a straightforward application. This design idea involves painting one wall a color that contrasts with the other walls. Use this to highlight a work of art, an antique piece of furniture or decorative vignette.
Another simple but effective use of paint is the two-toned wall. Paint the bottom half of your walls a dark, rich color and paint the top half the same color, only two to three shades lighter. Use a chair rail along the transitional seam.
Paint can also be used to create stripes or add geometric shapes to your walls. These applications can be effective in large rooms to break up the long expanse of wall. Harlequin patterns work well for an accent wall. A tile or brick pattern adds visual interest to a smaller room, such as a bathroom or kitchen pantry. -
Faux finishes are visually exciting. Sponging, in which a lighter shade is sponged onto a darker color, is effective for rooms with an otherwise mundane interior, such as a little-used bathroom or a back entry. Ragging is a good application for walls that have orange-peel textures or have been subject to repairs.
For a subtler effect, try colorwashing. This technique creates a more rustic, antique appearance. With colorwashing, you paint a dark shade on the wall in flat paint. Using the same color, thin the paint with water, using six parts water to one part paint. Apply the diluted paint in crisscross patterns. Let dry overnight and repeat the process. -
Both trompe l'oeil and wall murals are exciting, dynamic additions to interior designs. Depictions of fanciful gardens or city skylines can take a room from ordinary to extraordinary. But unless you are capable of such detailed renderings on a large scale, it is best to employ a professional. This can be expensive: A detailed mural for an 8-by-10 foot wall can be as much as $7,000.
Before writing that check, be certain you can live with that mural for a very long time. And if you intend to move within a year or two, you will likely need to paint over the mural to attract buyers. -
With so many colors available, how do you choose the right color or color combination for your project?
Colors have a psychological and physical effect on you. Red is a hot color; use it for rooms with a lot of action. Blue is a cool color, so use it for more meditative spaces or rooms in which you need to focus, such as a home office.
Green is calming and works well in children's bedrooms and formal dining areas. Orange is more dynamic and, like yellow, increases your appetite. Use these colors in your breakfast nook.
Use purple and black sparingly. These are great accent colors, but too much of either may make the room look gloomy and dull.
Using color psychology as a guide, you're sure to pick the color that suits the room. Any of the paint ideas mentioned here will work with a wide range of colors.
