Argyle-Style Feature Wall Tutorial

I know they have all kinds of different very cute wall-papers out there now-a-days, but for whatever reason I still seem to be privy to paint myself, and most particularly I've been drawn in by the idea of painted wall-paper.  I'm drawn to the idea of keeping the custom and tailored nature of paint, but adding the fabulous shapes, colours and patterns of great wallpapers.

I first put this idea to the test in my youngest son's nursery with an idea for an argyle-style feature wall that I loved.  Here's how it was done:

MATERIALS:

- 3 colours of paint
- 3-4 rolls of painter's tape (I prefer Frog Tape)
- Pencil
- Large piece of cardboard
- Measuring tape & straight edge
- Exacto knife

METHOD:

1) Paint entire room in 2 coats of your main colour (colour #1).

2) Measure the length and height of your feature wall (subtract the width of your baseboard & crown molding if you have it from the height).  I decided to do divide the height of my wall into 4 diamond shapes, and the length of the wall into 8.

3) Create a diamond-shaped stencil out of cardboard by dividing the height of your wall by the number of diamonds you want to run up it (in my case 4) to determine the height of the diamond stencil and the length of your wall by the number of diamonds you want across it (in my case 8) to determine the width of your diamond stencil. Using your straight edge and pencil draw a horizontal line on a large piece of cardboard according the measurement determined to be the width of your diamond.  Next, intersect that line in the middle with a vertical line according to the measurement determined to be the length of you diamond (you should have an equal cross).  Use your straight edge and pencil to draw the lines required to join the ends of your lines and form your diamond.  Cut out your diamond stencil using an exacto knife.

4) Starting in the corner of your feature wall, hold your diamond stencil against the wall and use your pencil to trace around it onto the wall.  Continue this until you have created a frame of diamonds around the edges of your wall.

5) This is where things get a little tricky - because walls are rarely perfectly square and even due to subtle differences here and there, it is unlikely that you will be able to use your stencil to fill in the whole wall and have everything line-up.  To get around this problem, starting from one side of the wall working towards the other side, use a length of painter's tape to form an edge from the bottom line of the diamond on the top of the wall to the top line of the coordinating diamond on the bottom of the wall.  Using the painter's tape as a straight edge, trace along the line onto the wall with your pencil.  Once you have repeated this step from one side of the wall to the other, turn around and do the same thing going the other way.  This will fill in all your diamonds!

Continue in this matter until you have crossed the whole wall and it looks like the picture below:

Then start of the other side!

Continue in this matter until you cross the wall and it looks like the picture below:

6) Determine your colour pattern as illustrated, and use painter's tape to mask off diamonds to be painted in colour #2 (make sure tape is firmly smoothed against wall to prevent bleeding).  Paint masked off diamonds in 2 coats of colour #2.  Remove tape when paint is just barely dry to the touch (about 20 - 30 minutes).  Allow 24 hours to dry.

7) Use painter's tape to mask off the remaining diamonds to be painted in colour #3 (make sure tape is firmly smoothed against wall to prevent bleeding).  Paint masked off diamonds in 2 coats of colour #3.  Remove tape when paint is just barely dry to the touch (about 20 - 30 minutes).

8) Optional - I added decorative tacks at the intersections of each of the diamonds for a finishing touch.

Enjoy your new wall-paper free feature wall!