Paint a Mural - What Paints to Use

For painting murals and creating faux finishes on walls, some understanding of paints and their properties and possibilities is essential if you don't want to make ugly and potentially costly mistakes. If in doubt, you should be able to get good advice from your paint retailer or hardware store.

* Applying your design is only part of the process of creating murals. Remember that your paint finish will only be as good as your surface, so it needs to be prepared well. Fresh concrete or plaster, or areas where cracks and holes have been filled, need sealing with the right kind of sealer. Also, when you've finished your design, you may want to seal it with a transparent glaze that will protect it and, in some designs, add a suitable glossy finish.

* Remember to choose your paint according to whether it is for interior or exterior use. Also consider how much wear it will receive and what it will need to withstand. For example, murals in kitchens and bathrooms will need a paint that is water-resistant. It's never worth skimping and buying cheap paints, so shop wisely.

* You will need to look at your base coat carefully since it will affect the paint applied to it. Standard interior paint is a matte finish, water-based paint often called 'flat paint' because of its low-gloss quality. This is the worst kind of base coat. Subsequent layers tend to dry quickly, leaving you without the 'wet edge' you need to create a good finish. Also it tends to flatten color on subsequent layers. Paints with a higher gloss content, known as satin or pearl paints (depending on manufacturer) are always a good base for faux painting.

* For your design, acrylic and latex paints are ideal for many interior purposes. (In fact, many latex paints today use resins other than rubber and are sometimes called 'acrylic latex'). Acrylic paints are easy to use and because they are water-based cleaning up is much easier.

* A golden rule in painting is that oil and water don't mix. Remember that latex and acrylic paints are water-based and therefore can't be mixed with oil-based paints. It's also best not to apply acrylic and latex paints on a high-gloss base coat, since they may not adhere properly.

* As well as considering the composition, texture and reflective qualities of your paint, you will be looking for the ideal colors for your design or room makeover. Always remember that colors change according to various factors. Most will appear more intense when applied over a large area than they appeared on the tin or sample strip. The same color can also look very different in a sunny or shady room. It's worth trying out colors before you begin. If it's too light or dark, you can always adjust it by mixing - bearing in mind the oil and water rule.

As well as knowing your basic paints and allied materials, you might want to explore some of the novelty paints and glazes on the market: metallic, fluorescent and textured paints are just a few of them. Playing with effects is all part of the fun!

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Bedroom Wall Decor - Fun Step For Your Distinctive Style

Many people neglect the bedroom and put more focus on home décor to the more visited rooms of the house. There are four types of bedrooms that maybe in your home. The masters, babies, teen and guest are all places where someone relaxes or sleeps. Today we are discussing the master bedroom where most of all your personality should shine through your choices of décor. This is your place of peace in other words your sanctuary.

One of the first things you notice when you walk into a room are the walls. If your walls are drab and bare so is the feeling that encompasses you. You need to make one or more walls the focus point to your bedroom. The walls should be designed with comfort and relaxation in mind. The bedroom should become your stress free haven.

Acquiring any form of wall décor is a fun step in the process of turning a house into a home. For any new project it is important to first determine your destination. Then determine the best path to reach your end vision. This quest can be difficult but I do hope to provide you with some guidance that will allow you to make the decisions that fit your home décor interests.

There are a vast variety of options to allow your walls to come alive with exuberance. From innovative lighting techniques to a collage of your family portraits can give you the outlet to let your creative juices flow. You need to choose a theme; color scheme and style then let your imagination run wild. Most importantly the beauty of the end result will be totally unique and will express your personality.

It use to be a privilege of the very wealthy to spend on original artwork. Today on the internet or at craft stores you can find a wide range of inexpensive canvases, paints, kits and frames to create original striking pieces of art. This outlet lets you become expressively creative in harmonizing with your other décor in the room. You might consider painting a small picture on one wall. Certain finishes such as faux can be used to create a pattern of design to make the wall vivid and interesting. This technique will inspire all those who view it.

Stenciling offers the opportunity to achieve a personal finish. Stencils have grown in popularity due to the ease of applying the design using the proper techniques. You can buy stencils and pick your dominant colors from the rest of your furnishings and put them in a restrained way on your walls.

Wallpaper murals are a great alternative for those interested in a picture as the focal point but do not have the talent or time to do this themselves. Wallpaper murals can transform your bedroom into a spring garden or into a balcony that over looks the ocean. Many murals use certain colors that can be drawn deeper into your room which will extend the texture and dimension of your room. What ever theme you choose the wall mural will add beauty and truly make your bedroom a sanctuary.

Lighting in a room is very important. There are three types of lighting general, task and accent. The use of these different types of lighting will change the way you see and feel in the room. Using accent lighting will add drama and will highlight the areas you wish to bring into focus.

Mirrors, wall sconces and clocks add a touch of glamour to any space on your walls. Bedroom mirrors create the illusion of more space and elegant living. Wall sconces with mirrors add a great deal of texture, interest and modern design to your walls. By adding a clock to an empty wall can make your walls go from boring to brilliant. Wall sconce candle holders with their mystical glow can change the entire mood of the bedroom. It can change your plain bedroom into a haven of romance or allow your mind and body to relax. Fragrant candles can make you feel like you have been whisked away to another place and time. They add a soft subtle light and distinctive style. Wall candle sconces are one of the most affordable decorating options that will never go out of style.

Bedroom wall shelves makes for an appealing wall and keeps you organized. The wall shelf gives you additional storage space and helps you display your books, knick knacks and collectibles. Most wall shelves are easy to attach to the walls, increases the value of your home and adds a decorative element to the room.

Wallpaper is ideal for making your bedroom walls take notice. Light colored wall paper is perfect for smaller rooms. For larger rooms darker shades give you a cozier feeling as long as you have sunlight streaming in through your windows. Horizontal stripes makes the room look wider while vertical stripes make the room look longer. There are abstract designed wallpaper that can give more of a contemporary look and a floral print always gives you that pleasant effect. Wallpaper borders are an essential accessory for wall décor that is sometimes over looked. A wallpaper border is a strip of wallpaper that runs parallel to the floor on the wall at the junction where the wall and floor meet. They give a sense of finality and completeness to the wall. Some wallpaper come with matching borders. Some are of patterns while others are solid but both will enhance and highlight your walls. Borders seem to add that dramatic and sophisticated look and finish.

A beautifully woven wall tapestry may be all you need to pull the room together. Most of us can't afford to go on vacations every day but a tapestry with a stunning theme can take you away for a short time. They seem to elude tranquility; romance and a means of escape that we need for our bodies to replenish daily.

Wall Paints - Various Colors, Textures, and Patterns

The earliest appearance of paint was approximately thirty thousand years ago. There are still some caves today where graphics and pictures can be found that were drawn using paint. Color has fascinated cultures throughout history. Some cultures used colors for healing purposes.

Paint is made up of a pigment, a binder to hold it together and with thinners it makes paint easy to apply. We use paint to help preserve, decorate and add function by covering a surface with a protective coating.

Before the nineteenth century, the word paint only applied to oil bound types. Those that were bond by glue were called distemper. The first synthetic dye was discovered in eighteen fifty-six and was produced inexpensively. It was during this time frame that linseed oil began being mass produced. By eighteen eighty, Sherwin Williams produced and marketed paints in tins in a wide range of colors. With their success, the paint was exported all over the world.

Americans have been practicing the green revolution for a long time. They started having concerns around nineteen fifty regarding what chemicals and solvents were being put in paint. In nineteen seventy lead and mercury was outlawed and could not be used in the manufacturing of paint. A major difference in modern wall paints is the change from linseed oil to alkyd oil which is generally derived from soybeans. The use of synthetic resins such as acrylics and epoxies have become prevalent in the last thirty years.

Wall paints are the easiest and least expensive way to change the entire look and feel of a room. Your stark cold walls can be transformed into a sophisticated ambience of color and texture. It seems to breathe new life into the room with harmony and design.

Scientists have proclaimed that color affects us psychologically and certain paint colors provide either a cooling effect while other colors give us a sense of warmth. Some warm colors are orange, red and pink, while blues, greens and violets are thought to be cool colors.

Choosing just the right color and finish can be confusing and challenging. Here is a color and finish vocabulary to help you figure it out:

• Hue- The base of a color. Lighter or darker variations are still the same hue.

• Value- The lightness or darkness of a color.

• Shades- Colors with values closet to black, the darker reds and so forth.

• Tints- Colors with values closet to white, the lighter blues and so forth.

• Tone- A color's intensity brightness or dullness.

• Flat Paint - Is the standard paint for walls and has the lowest sheen available.

• Satin Paint - Has a slight sheen and is easier to clean then flat paint.

• Semi-Gloss Paint - Is highly durable and easy to clean. Great for kitchens, bathrooms and children's rooms.

• Gloss Paint - Has a high sheen and is used in areas that are susceptible to getting dirty. This is great for doors and door frames.

Paint can also be mixed with a glaze to create various textures and patterns. This process is referred to as faux finish and is quite popular with home owners and interior designers. Washes are simply latex paint that has been thinned with water to produce color that is more delicate then that of a glaze. Washes also show brush marks which add depth and texture to your surface. There are other techniques that create unique charm and characteristics such as sponging, stippling, rag-rolling and color blocking.

Your first step before actually painting should be to take measurements of the area and calculate the amount of paint you will need. Then prepare your walls for painting. Patch all holes and allow spackling to completely dry. You must also remove any loose paint and sand uneven edges. Please don't forget to cover the furniture and floor and remove light switch and outlet covers. A primer may be needed if your walls are new or show a lot of damage. You should also seek assistance from your home improvement store. They deal with this daily and can offer valuable advice.

It is best to take small steps and before too long you will feel like a professional and show off your technique on every wall in your home. At the end of the day as you look around you will be amazed at how a little color, texture and pattern will change your world.