How to Paint a Wall Plaid

Plaid is in, even for painting a wall.

Plaid is once again a popular choice for home decor. But you don't need to stop with having a plaid chair or picture frame. Create an accent wall in a bathroom or bedroom by following these steps to paint a wall of plaid in a weekend.

Things You'll Need

• Level
• Painter's tape
• Paintbrushes and small rollers
• Paint tray
• Paint or glaze in several colors
• Rags

Instructions

1. 

   Determine your pattern and colors.

   Determine the pattern and colors you want for the accent wall. You can pick a traditional pattern or create your own, using two or more colors. The base, or underlying color, should be the same as the rest of the room, which may necessitate you having to paint the entire room first.

2. 

   Mark the horizontal stripes first.

   Once the base paint is on, measure the wall you've chosen for your accent wall. Working horizontally first, put strips of painter's tape up on either side of the wall. Then determine how wide you want the stripes of color to be, basing your decision on how much of a repeat pattern you want and how tall and wide the wall is. You can vary the size of each strip, just be certain to keep the pattern consistent.

3. 

   Mark each side of the painter's tape.

   When you have figured out the dimensions for each stripe of color, mark each side of the painter's tape, making a ledger on both sides. Don't put pencil marks on the wall if you have elected to use a glaze, since the marks will show through the glaze.

4. When you've marked both sides of the tape, adhere painter's tape from one side to the other, making sure that each strip is level. Carefully tamp it down, so there is no bleeding through of the paint.

5. Put a small piece of tape inside the stripes you will not be painting to help keep yourself on track. Then paint each remaining stripe with your chosen color or glaze.

6. When paint is almost dry, remove the painter's tape.

7. 

   Vary the width of your stripes for greater interest.

   Repeat the same steps for the vertical stripes.

Tips & Warnings

• Since a plaid wall is a major design element, it's best to use it in small doses. One accent wall in a small room is the best way to utilize this type of treatment.

• Pick up the accent color in the rest of the room through the use of throw pillows, floral arrangements, towels, and other small items.

• Depending on your selected pattern, this type of wall can involve some pretty complicated math, so it you're not good at measuring and dividing, maybe plaid wallpaper would be a better choice.

References

• Weekend Project: Inspiring Walls
• Kitchen Remodeling Ideas
• How To Paint a Plaid