Decorative Painting 101

Painting walls and ceilings with one color is the tried and tested approach to beautifying spaces in our homes. But with little inspiration, a touch of creativity and the right painting tools, you’ll find that there are more ways to beautify a surface with decorative painting.

What is Decorative Painting

But isn’t painting, in general, meant to be decorative? How is decorative painting different from the standard type of painting?

Decorative painting involves more time in planning how to paint a surface. There are textures to choose from, and a whole bunch of application techniques to decide on. Decorative also differs in the painter’s perspective. One painter may look at a wall and see it as a surface that needs to be covered, and another would look at it and see a blank canvass that may function as one of the room’s key feature.

Once you’ve mastered the basics of standard painting, dare to take the next step. Check out the materials you’ll usually need and some simple techniques you might want to try.

Your Basic Set of Tools

Trying out creative paint executions on walls require specific tools, such as the following:

• Stencils and patterns
• Pencils and light marker for your guidelines
• Artist brushes, in different sizes
• Yardstick and tape measure
• Decorative paint
• Key items for texture, some examples are:
  • Sea sponge for sponge textures
  • Sheepskin pad for the cloud technique
  • Polyamide fabric roller
  • Tissue paper
  • Shower squeegee
  • Plastic grocery bag
• White poster boards for practicing your technique

Reminders for Beginners

Don’t let your excitement rush you! Consider these reminders.

• Carefully plan out your decorative painting. Decide on a look and technique. Make sure that it goes along with the overall theme of the room.
• To avoid highlighting surface imperfections, be thorough with surface preparation.
• Practice your chosen technique with white poster boards before actual application.
• Find the best paint for your decorative paint project. Island Paints has Decoratex which is formulated to produce various textured finishes. Water-based, Island Decoratex exhibits excellent filling with good adhesion properties.

Read more about Island Paints Decoratex or plan your home improvement projects with Island Paints!