How to Paint a Bathroom Two Colors
Bathrooms are perfect rooms to experiment with color. They are small, so if you don't like the results, they can be redone easily. Guest baths, especially, seem to lend themselves to out-of-the-ordinary choices in colors and textures. Choose colors that coordinate with the rooms around it, and ones that are harmonious together. This may mean colors that are next to each other on the color wheel or two colors from the same paint strip, for a very subtle approach. Whether you're planning to create a focal wall or stripes with your second color, the approach starts the same. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 2" painter's tape
- Plastic sheeting
- Drop cloths
- Detergent
- Sponge
- Bucket
- Angled 2-3" brush
- Primer paint - optional
- Paint in two colors
- Paint roller and cover
- Paint pan and liner
- Watercolor pencil
- Level
- Plumb line and chalk
- Putty knife
Instructions
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1
Prepare the room by removing switch plates, light fixtures and artwork from the walls. Use painter's tape to mask off mirrors and woodwork. Cover the countertop and sinks with plastic, and put drop cloths on the floor.
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2
Wash the walls down with a grease-cutting detergent to remove old grime, dust and mold. Let it dry before you proceed.
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3
Paint a primer on all the walls if the paint job is more than five years old, has just been stripped of wallpaper, or if you have new drywall. Plan to apply two coats for even coverage.
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4
Paint the lighter color on the walls first. If you are planning to create a darker focal wall, skip this wall. If you are creating stripes, then paint all the walls in the lighter color first. Let dry four hours or more.
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5
Create a focal wall by taping the corners of the adjoining wall with painter's tape. Cut in with an angled brush and then quickly follow using a paint roller. Remove the tape while the paint is still wet.
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Prepare to create vertical stripes by measuring and marking the stripes both at the top and bottom of the walls with a watercolor pencil. Use a level to be sure they're straight.
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Use the plumb line and chalk to snap even lines across your wall for the stripe width you have chosen. Apply masking tape carefully to the lines.
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Mark every other stripe with a bit of painter's tape to remind you that you won't be painting these. Tape off your lines by applying the tape to the inside of the stripes you will not be painting. Burnish the tape with a putty knife for less paint seepage.
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Paint every other stripe in your darker color. Remove the tape while the paint is still wet. Let the walls dry before touching up the walls where paint may have seeped under the tape.
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Tips & Warnings
Primer has qualities that make the paint adhere more smoothly.
Stripes work best on walls with a smooth surface, but they can still be accomplished on walls with a small orange-peel texture.
Paint will not adhere to a dirty surface, so don't skip the wall cleaning.
Trying to apply stripes to knock-down or heavy texture will not result in clean, straight lines.
