painting a statement wall: tips and tricks

As many of you know, I LOVE to paint walls, LIKE A LOT and after painting numerous walls (and other large surfaces), I've pulled together some of the best tips and tricks that I can offer!

MY HOME DECOR PHILOSOPHY

I am not into the latest and greatest home decor trends and I NEVER want to feel like my home is "too precious" to take risks and try something unique, creative or even weird. While I love home decor shows, magazine and blogs- I also think it is easy to fall into trendy, safe and practical thinking when it comes to your house. I am not safe nor am I practical and I tackle most DIY projects like an artist. I love color, pattern and I believe that paint is one of the most affordable and easy ways to transform just about anything in your home into art. My husband Andy is super supportive of my approach but he always asks that we try to find a long term, well thought out way of making my ideas happen.

IT'S JUST PAINT

Before painting a wall in your home I think you have to forget about trends, rules and what a home is supposed to look like. You also have to get brave! While painting a wall (even a solid color) can feel like a really big commitment, at the end of the day, it's just paint. As a artist, I know that paint is one of the easiest (and cheapest) materials to use to transform just about anything. I've painted canvas, wood, fabric, appliances, furniture, floors and walls and what I've learned is that if you have the energy and creativity, paint enables you to make all kinds of changes. The best part is if you get tired of something, if you need to sell your house, if you have another idea, you can ALWAYS paint right over the top and make that change.

PICK A SURFACE

Selecting a wall or large surface can be a little intimidating. I also know that there are likely challenges out there- like you are renting or family/spouse does not support painting a wall (totally understandable) so I like to recommend starting simple or small! Here are a few alternatives to painting a wall.

• A door or even the inside or backside of cupboard door, closet door or extra room door.
• The wall of a closet, laundry room or bathroom.
• A guest room, office or spare bedroom is a little less intimidating than the wall of your living room!
• A wall in the garage.
• Old wood floors, a deck or even concrete floors are all an alternative to painting a wall!
• If you are a renter, use a large piece of unstretched canvas to cover a wall and then paint.
• Create a false wall or a moveable wall! I actually have two moveable walls that we created for my studio space just so I have something large that I can paint on!

 PREP YOUR SURFACE

I've learned over time and lots of trial and error that it will save you a lot of trouble if you take time to prep your surface. While I am a "create in the moment" type of artist, I still make time to clean, sand and if needed, prime my surface. The walls in our home have a lot of texture and they also have a glossy finish which can make painting a mural tricky. I found that painting over them with a fast coat of primer helps my process. My favorite primer that I use for everything is Bulls Eye 123 Primer

TREAT THE WALL LIKE A PIECE OF ART

Often I think we associate a mural with crisp lines and perfect proportions but when I started painting walls, I wanted to treat the surface like a painting full of color, texture and layers. When I tackle painting a wall I am thinking more about creating art. I mean, if I wanted a perfect pattern that matched my furniture and decor, I'd go spend $$ on wall paper! Don't get caught up in perfection, instead think of that surface like a GIGANTIC canvas. Let your ideas evolve, even change as you work your way across the surface. Embrace brushstrokes, expressive marks and drips.

MAKE A PLAN (OR DON'T)

Since I treat a wall like a painting, I almost never have a super detailed plan for the murals that I paint and this is my favorite way to work. Instead, I tend to plan out basic colors, a general idea of what the theme will be and how much time I have to work on a wall. Beyond that, I enjoy working spontaneous and seeing how things develop and evolve as I begin. I know this process will sound totally crazy to most people so the best advice I can offer is to make a plan that works for you and your creative style. Here are a few things to think about:

• Knowing what colors you want to work with and how much paint you will need to cover a wall will help to decide you how much money to spend. The walls that I have painted range from $5.00-35.00 in supplies.

• Figure out how much time you will need. I paint fast (it's one of my superpowers) so I know that if I have 1-2 days set aside I can finish the project. If you work slowly or don't have lots time, give yourself a few weeks to pick away at painting a wall.

• Having a basic idea of what you will paint can help the process move along. If you need a plan, you can sketch out your ideas on a piece of paper and once you are happy with an idea, sketch it out on the wall.

• Remember, if you begin painting and it doesn't look the way you imagined- thats ok! It's just paint which means you can paint over it and make changes. I do this all the time and while the process can take more time, it's a great reminder that a painting, even on a wall can evolve and change!

CREATE A MURAL THAT REFLECTS YOU AND YOUR STYLE
I think painting a statement wall is totally personal and while it's fun to seek inspiration in the things that other people create, painting a mural in your home should reflect you, your family and your style (not trends). While I love painting flowers and pattern, there are so many other themes that can be painted on a wall (people, animals, places, words, even personal themes that mean something to you and your family). Before you dive into a project like this, take some time to identify the things (and color) that you want to be surrounded by. Living with a giant wall filled with pattern, color and images is a big commitment so take time to figure what represents you and what you would enjoy looking at every day.

IT TAKES A LOT TO FILL THAT SPACE

Unless you paint big, you quite don't quite realize how much paint, supplies and stamina it takes to fill a large surface. Here are a few tips:

• I like to use a combination of pints of colorful paint that I get mixed from the hardware store, tubes of acrylic paint and white primer. I use the pints of paint for large areas of color. I use the white primer for anything that gets painted white or to mix with color to get a lighter shade. And I use my tubes of acrylic paint for the last layers to add pops of color here and there.

• I use rollers and large paint brushes to fill big areas with color. I use smaller brushes for  details.

• Since I use a lot of black lines and pattern in my work, I create a custom mixture of black paint and water for all my line work. I like my black paint to be fluid and have the consistency of oil because it makes the process of painting all that pattern much smoother.

• Keep in mind that tiny details made with tiny supplies don't translate very well when working on a large wall so using larger brushes is alway best.

• Painting a large wall can take a toll on your body- all that stretching, bending and holding your arms up high for an extended period of time can be painful! Since I have a sensitive back and neck, I have to take lots of breaks to stretch. Even when I am in the groove, I force myself to stop every 20 minutes and stretch or even change positions- this ensures I won't wake up sore or injured the next day!

DON'T BE AFRAID TO USE A VARIETY OF SUPPLIES

I typically just stick to using paint when I am creating a mural but you can use all kinds of supplies. Stamps, palette knife, stencils, spray paint, paint pens, mark making tools or anything that you would use on a painting will work on a wall! 

TIP: Keep in mind certain supplies and materials are harder to cover up! In my experience Sharpie pens, permanent pens, paint pens and spray paint are really hard to paint over especially with white paint (it's possible it just takes a lot of paint). So take this into consideration when you are deciding what types of supplies you want to work with.

Looking for a little more inspiration when it comes to using paint and creativity in those home decor projects?

painted floor runner   painted countertops    statement wall   kids statement wall  flower mural   guest room mural  doodled dishwasher   painted deck  kids room makeover

lucy's room update

This summer we've been in organization and clean up mode and one of the most important spaces on our list was Lucy's room. At only 100 square feet, the space is pretty limited in how we can configure things. And as she has gotten older, we've accumulated a lot of stuff that she has now grown out of so it was time to update and organize!

The first thing I did was paint the wall. As my long time readers know, I never want to feel like my home is "too precious" to take risks and try something unique, creative or even weird. While I love home decor shows, magazine and blogs- I also think it is easy to fall into trendy, safe and practical thinking when it comes to your house. I am not safe nor am I practical and I tackle most DIY projects like an artist. I love color, pattern and I believe that paint is one of the most affordable and easy ways to transform just about anything in your home into art!

Over a year ago Lucy asked for a painting of Paris on her wall (you can see it HERE) and when it came time to change her room, she was excited to have a new mural on the wall. After lots of brainstorming together she asked for a butterfly garden! So I got busy making it happen! 

I started by painting a fast coat of white primer over the top of the old mural. Once that white paint was dry, I added color. Then I began painting the designs. Here is a little peek into the beginning of this process.

I like to "draw" my designs with bold black lines- I use acrylic paint mixed with a little bit of water and then I use a brush. 

After the black lines are dry, I go back in and add color to some of them and then other designs I let the color of background show through. The result is a really dynamic, bold and colorful mural. 

While a mural like this might be too busy or colorful for some people, we love the way it looks and we also love that it feels like we are living inside of a sketchbook page!

Another big change we made to Lucy's room was adding lots of storage and bought her a new bed. We picked out the Hemnes bed from IKEA because it is big enough for her to grow into and it also has TONS of storage space below. 

Since the mural is colorful and busy, we kept the rest of the room neutral and simple.

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We moved her little desk (that has been in the dining room) into her room and created a small work space.

We also made use of the ClosetMaid Cubicle Organizers for all of her toys and books. I LOVE these cube organizers!!

The end result is a really fun and whimsical room that is perfect for Lucy to grow into!

Looking for a little more inspiration when it comes to using paint and creativity in those home decor projects?

painted floor runner   painted countertops    statement wall  painted deck    kids statement wall  flower mural   guest room mural   doodled dishwasher

guest room makeover

When normal people have a guest coming to visit, they clean, organize and do a little house fluffing. When guests come to visit me, I paint a mural- obviously I am not normal. So when my sister in law made plans to come visit, I got that old familiar itch to get creative and decided to turn my office space into a last minute guest room.

Our spare bedroom is really small and is currently my office space- you can see how it has changed and evolved HERE and HERE. For now I still need to use this space as my office but it was crammed full of art supplies, projects and junk. I cleared everything out except for my work desk and moved things around to make space against two walls for a sofa bed and bedside table. 

Then I got busy painting a statement wall! Yes, I know this might sound like a lot of work and totally excessive but in my world, art is how I show my love and my sis in law is one of my favorite people who deserves lots of love. More than anything I wanted to create a cozy and special space for her. While I will likely paint over the wall (again) eventually, it will also serve as a photo backdrop for some upcoming projects. For me it was totally worth the time and energy. Here is a peek inside the process.

blue wall from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

When I am painting a statement wall full of pattern, I really enjoy starting with a color. The cool thing about filling that wall full of pattern is that you really don't have to be perfect with that first layer of color. I gave my wall a quick coat of blue paint with a roller. I didn't care about the streak and imperfections because all the line work and pattern covers it up.  

Once it was dry, I got busy painting a flower pattern. Yes, we have a giant flower wall in our master bedroom but I love flowers so much that I just couldn't resist painting another one! I really love how it looks so different in shades of blue. The entire process took me a total of about 3 hours (with interruptions) and cost around $30 for paint the paint.

The result is a super fun and funky little guest room that I can still use as my office. I love that with a little creativity and paint you can quickly transform any space into a piece of art!

Now if I can just keep this room clean and organized until our guest arrives later this week!

Looking for more statement wall inspiration?

bedroom statement wall  statement wall for lucy  tips and tricks for painting large

moveable walls   ocean wall

office statement wall

While I have a great studio space where I host classes and work on all kinds of creative (and messy) projects, my home office is actually where a lot of the magic happens for me. And by magic, I mean hours upon hours spent in front of a computer screen editing photos, writing and editing video and online class content. At this point in my life I really love working from home but sitting in an office, in front of a computer can feel anything BUT inspiring so I am always changing things up to keep things feeling more creative and less office-like. So with the new year, I got busy cleaning and organizing my office. Just as I was finishing up, I felt like there was something missing and I got that familiar hankering to paint a wall- you know how I love to paint a wall!

I knew right away that I wanted to paint a mandala inspired design. A mandala is actually really easy to create because it is simply a series of repeating designs in a circle. I don't get too crazy with measuring things out, I just start with a circle (I usually trace something round) and then go for it! 

When I am painting a wall with a lot of pattern and line work I like to use acrylic paint mixed with a little bit of water. 

Since our walls have texture on them it keeps things from lines being really clean and perfect but I just work go ahead and embrace it.

I kept building and building the embellishments until the entires section of the wall was filled.

The wall adds just the perfect amount of creativity (for me) and my work space and the best part is that it's just paint! When or if I ever want a change I can paint over it!