Two-color Paint Effect

House Paint:

Do you live in an older house with plaster walls? Sometimes those old walls become uneven over time due to their nature, or bad patch repair jobs have created uneven spots, making the walls look irregular and bumpy. Rather than go to the expense of re-plastering whole walls, or replacing them with drywall (because you want to maintain the character of the house), here’s an easy solution to keep your eyes focused on the beauty of the wall, rather than the imperfect lumpy appearance: Apply a two-color paint effect with a roller finish.

Using two different, but complimentary, paint colors (one lighter than the other) will create a texture and finish that not only disguises any surface variations, but also lends depth and character to a wall. For this simple application you will need two cans of matte latex paint in complimentary colors, a roller tray, a masonry roller, and a 2-inch paint brush, as well as some drop cloth and painter’s tape to protect your ceiling, crown molding and base molding.

1. Pour about 1 pint of each color of paint into opposite sides of the deep end of the roller tray. They will sit next to each other without mixing too much. When you put the roller into the paint, remember to always keep the handle pointed in the same direction so you won’t blend the colors together in the tray.

2. Roll the roller into the paint, and then roll it backward and forward just once on the ridged part of the tray so the roller is thickly coated with the two shades of paint.

3. Work across the wall in sections of about 3-feet square (but a more roughly circular shape) to help prevent any hard lines. Roll the paint onto the wall in single, long strokes to transfer the majority of the paint onto the wall surface. Space each stroke of the roller a few inches apart from the other strokes. Then, without putting the roller back into the paint, roll it lightly across the thick strokes of paint on the wall, gently blending the colors together. Use the roller at different angles to develop a subtle, mottled finish. Keep in mind the more you roll over the wet paint, the more the colors will blend and the subtler the effect will be.

4. For corners and edges of the wall where the roller won’t reach, dip the end of the paint brush into both colors in the paint tray and dapples it onto those areas to maintain the two-tone effect.

5. Another variation of this technique is to give the wall a base coat of paint in a third complimentary color. Let the paint dry, then roller the other two colors loosely over the base coat and slightly blend them, keeping the effect dramatic and emphasizing the roller’s texture.

6. If a wall is mildly uneven, a subtle color contrast will work well. If a wall is very uneven, use more strongly contrasting colors that will give a bolder finish and will disguise bad patch-work more effectively. Remember, the more contrast between the two colors, the more dramatic and stronger the visual effect will be.Wholesale Paint Store