How to Paint a Surf Room for My Boys

The wide ocean and rolling waves provide inspiration for a surf-themed room.

A surf-themed bedroom is an ideal choice for active boys who enjoy the sun, sand and catching some waves. Whether you live in a tropical climate just miles from the beach or have snow outside the windows of your surf-themed room, this style of decor will help create a warm, laid-back atmosphere in this part of the house. Pair this paint job with surfboard-shaped headboards, Hawaiian print fabrics and laid-back wicker or bamboo furnishings for a complete beach look.

Things You'll Need

• Latex paint in sky blue, aqua and sand
• Paint roller
• Sponge
• Transparencies
• Projector
• Acrylic paints
• Small to medium paintbrushes

Instructions

1. Divide the walls into three sections. The top half of the walls will be the sky. The bottom half will be divided into sea and sand. Draw light pencil marks around the perimeter of the room to roughly define where you want each element.

2. Paint the backdrop for your surf mural in sky with blue latex paint. Use a paint roller to cover the top half of the room in this shade. The edges don't need to be perfect, as you will paint over them with the sea color.

3. Paint the center area of the room with an aqua shade of latex paint. This can range from a deeper blue to a nearly green shade depending on the other decor in the room and the particular shade of water you prefer. Use a roller for the majority of the section. Make short, light strokes with a paintbrush in undulating curves to define the point where the sea meets the sky.

4. Paint the bottom 1 to 2 feet of the walls with a sandy shade of latex paint for the beach. Use a roller for the bottom and middle of the section. Sponge on the sand paint at the top where it meets the sea for an uneven, grainy effect.

5. Allow at least 24 hours for this tri-color base coat to dry before you begin painting the details of your mural.

6. Select a picture of a surf-worthy rolling wave or two, as well as a picture of two or three surfboards stuck into the sand so they stand straight up. These images will serve as blueprints for your mural. Print each selected image onto a transparency. This can be done at most office supply stores.

7. Project an image of a rolling wave onto the wall with a projector. Adjust the position of the projector until the wave lines up with the sea portion of your mural and extend into the sky. Trace the wave onto the wall in pencil. Repeat for additional waves you want to add to the walls. Project the surfboards onto the wall so the bottoms line up with the sand and the boards extend upward on the wall. You can make these boards life-size or only a few feet tall depending on the distance you want them to appear.

8. Fill in the pencil sketches with acrylic paint using a variety of small- to medium-sized paintbrushes. Mix the original ocean color you used with varying amounts of blue, green and white to get a variety of colors needed for the waves. Paint the surfboards in any desired color to match the decor of the room. Consider painting names or favorite phrases onto the surfboards for the inhabitants of the room.

9. Allow 24 hours for the mural to dry before touching the walls or setting furniture near or against the walls of the newly painted surf room.

References

• The Painter Lady: Mural Painting Techniques for the Beginner

Resources

• Kids Decorating Ideas: Beach Rooms & Surfing Themes