lucy's room makeover

As many of you know, it's become a tradition to redecorate and paint a fresh mural in Lucy's room every couple of years. Her room is tiny and as she's gotten older, her style and interests are always changing and evolving. And this year, together we decided on a Matisse inspired wall. Lucy's middle name is Matisse and it seemed appropriate to at some point in her life create a Henri Matisse inspired wall. The best part of was planning it out and spending time painting together. Here is a little peek. 

BEFORE

I painted this butterfly mural back in 2016. 

Looking for a little more inspiration when it comes to using paint and creativity to transform a space?

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

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

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

getting creative on the wall

Yesterday I shared the wings that I painted as a backdrop for our Halloween post and today I thought it would be fun to share a peek into the process and share a few tips and insights into painting a wall!

wings from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

The first time I painted a wall was my sophmore year of college in my first apartment (which was a dump). I painted a quote and little mural above my bed trying to pretty things up. Since then I've been smitten with painting walls. As you know I love to work large but working on a wall is beyond large and can be a huge undertaking but there is nothing better than using creativity to turn a wall into art. 

As I shared a while back my painting large post, painting big- as big as a wall requires a lot of paint! When I work on a wall I almost always purchase quarts (or gallons) of house paint in the colors I will be working with. While a lot of my creative process is about  being spontaneous and working in the moment, when I paint a wall I actually take time to at least plan out my color scheme so I don't waste paint.


TIP- When I use black paint to doodle on the wall I mix my paint with a little bit of water. I have found that when I am doing a lot of line work with a brush I like my paint to be a little watery- it makes things go quicker because I don't have to keep reloading my brush with paint.

Using creativity and art to transform a wall is a great way to add something special to a room in the house but not everyone is crazy like me and willing to a paint mural in the master bedroom! I like to recommend starting small before making a big commitment. Painting a small batch of color or pattern on the inside of a closet, a door, a wall in the garage or even in a spare room is a great way to get your feet wet painting a wall.

TIP: If you are not at all ready to paint a wall in your home, try working large. A giant piece of canvas, wood or even sheet rock are all surfaces that can give you the same feeling and scale as a wall. A faux wall is another option- I can't paint the walls in my studio space so we created hollow, moveable walls that I use for painting.

There is no right or wrong way to paint a wall (in my humble opinion) so don't be afraid to use your favorite mixed media, drawing or painting techniques. Stamping is a great way add fast decoration, doodling or line drawings can create the look of wall paper and color and expressive painting techniques can turn a wall into a piece of fine art!

TIP: If you are not comfortable working spontaneously on the wall, try creating a scaled down version of your idea or even try using a projector to get your design up on the wall.

And the best advice I can give when it comes to painting a wall is... THAT IT'S JUST PAINT! It is so easy to get caught up in making things perfect or stress about decor decisions. But really, pretty much anything can be painted over (and over and over). This is my favorite part of painting walls-  a can of white paint or primer makes it possible to change it up and begin again.