Painting Textured Walls

I hope you guys all had a happy weekend! We’ve been busy working to makeover my home office as part of the One Room Challenge. In case you missed Thursday’s post, here’s a look at the space before..

This room is one of the last rooms in the house to get a neutral makeover. The walls were painted in a pretty color called Rejuvenate and at the time, it fit perfectly with our coastal style. After living here a few years, we realized we wanted a home that was calm, relaxing, comfortable and neutral. One of us chose gray, the other chose white. One of us chose wood grain and the other chose black. Honestly, that’s how we came up with the colors of the house. The only thing we agreed upon was we loved texture, lots and lots of texture.

As you can see from the picture of my office, those colors were not really represented properly. Sure the bookcases, file cabinet and work island were white but I knew it could be so much better. The layout of the office is somewhat tricky. There’s only one full wall and that’s the back wall. The wall to the right is mostly filled with windows. That wall leads to another wall, which has the inventory closet and the office door. The office door leads to the door that leads to the bathroom and we’re back to the one full wall again.

Given I had one wall to work with I knew the design plan had to be functional but also pretty. This is only wall that can hold the bookcases, which will house everything from office supplies to inventory. It’s also the only wall that can accommodate the one piece left over from the old office…the barn door. Getting rid of that beast was a non negotiable. So, I knew this wall had to be statement making, which is why I chose Valpsar’s Hot Stone. It’s a dark, sometimes brown, sometimes gray shadowy color but it makes a beautiful backdrop for the room.

If you’ve never painted an accent wall before (me either) it’s best to paint the lighter color walls first. I chose Valspar’s Quail Egg a white/griege color for the other walls. It’s the same color in the adjacent bedroom and one of my favorite colors. It’s also going to pair perfectly with the rest of the neutrals that will inhabit this space.

Before you start painting it’s also a good idea to fill in any existing nail holes, repair damaged areas and make sure the walls are clean and free from dirt/debris. Be sure to read the instructions/labels on the materials you’re using. (I had to wait 24 hours for the spackle compound I was using to dry and then I had to sand prior to painting.)

Make sure you gather all of your supplies in advance. You’ll need things like:

• A large tarp
• 2-3 good quality angled brushes
• Paint roller and cover for your specific wall type
• Painters tape
• Paint tray
• Paint

Carefully remove the covers from the outlets with a screwdriver. Place a piece of tape over the outlet holes. This will help keep paint from getting in there.

Use a container to corral the outlet covers and screws so you don’t lose or misplace them.

Take the time to tape up baseboards, trim and moldings around the room.

Paint the edges first with an angled brush. I usually use a 2 or 2 ½ inch angled brush.

Place the roller into the paint. You’ll want a good amount of paint to the paint roller but not so saturated that it’s going to splatter paint all over the walls and your tarp. Then place the roller onto the wall and paint using a W and M motion not in a straight up and down line. This will help to provide paint coverage in all the nooks and crannies. Textured walls especially need this. If the roller starts to make a sticky sound, it means you need more paint.

Keep repeating these steps until you have the entire wall completed. Allow the paint to dry for a few hours then paint the additional walls or the trim, molding, and baseboards if you’re painting the entire room in one color.

The next day, depending on the type of paint you’ve used you may want to add a second coat of paint. Definitely make sure you go back and touch up any spaces that need it.

I can’t believe what a difference the Hot Stone accent wall made in this room. It’s a stark and moody contrast from the Quail Egg that I am love, love, loving!

See you guys back here tomorrow. I’m using a dresser I found at a charity shop for storage.

Many blessings,

CoCo