This DIY Geometric Accent Wall is the Happy Medium Between Minimalist and Maximalist
If you can draw a line or a circle, this is the mural for you
Clare Collective ambassador Lauren Hom doesn’t shy away from bold hues—and has the colorful rooms in her home to prove it (a green and yellow kitchen, to be precise). “I’m normally all about adding energy to my spaces, but the exception in our home was the living room. With so much going on in the rest of the house, we wanted a space that felt calm,” she says. “Plus, my partner is more of a minimalist, so the goal became to combine both of our styles.”
Before
The couple started out unsure of what was going on with the space. They toyed around with the idea of getting a projector for a large blank wall but never got around to it.
After
Instead, they decided that rather than hanging art, a geometric accent wall mural would be a great way to decorate the room. Read on for Lauren’s tips on creating your own.
Decide On The Vibe
Since Lauren and her partner have a background in graphic design, they each had opinions. “We landed on wanting something that felt reminiscent of nature, but mellow. I always love putting natural elements in my murals, but he’s all about clean lines,” says Lauren. “So these soft shapes felt like a happy medium.”
Start With Your Background Color
Even though their impulse as designers was to pick the paint color in the room first, Lauren restrained herself. “I read a tip that said it’s easier to choose wall paint than it is to change the color of your couch,” says Lauren. “Choose furniture first and then choose the paint color. Plus, we wanted the shapes to be inspired by the existing décor.” So they landed on Grayish for the wall because it complemented the furniture so well and used Set in Stone, Good as Gold and Make Waves as accent colors.
Sketch It Out First
Come up with a plan for the mural before you even think about lifting a paint brush. Lauren says that you don’t need to use anything high tech, just sketch out a design on a piece of paper. Or if you’re feeling tech-savvy, take a picture on your phone and draw shapes over the photo with the pencil tool in a photo editing program. You can even add in colors for each shape using the dropper tool.
If You Can Draw a Line, It’s That Easy
No fancy tools needed for this geometric accent wall! Lauren keeps it simple using a pencil with a light hand (it’s easier to erase) to create shapes and lines. She also uses a two-foot level for straight lines and a tack and a piece of string to create circles. “Cut the string to the desired radius of the circle, tie a pencil to one end and tack the other end where you want the center of your circle,” says Lauren. “Keep the string taut and move it in a circle. Everyone is capable of creating these shapes and engaging with their child-like creative side.”
Grab The Right Brushes
Lauren’s go-to tool is a one-inch angled brush. It gives you long simple lines that can be sharp and skinny or thick. She uses a small four-inch foam roller to fill in larger spaces. “I love using the new quart sizes from Clare, it helps eliminate waste and I can dip the brush directly into the can,” says Lauren. “I always dip the brush a 1/3 of the way into the paint. The paint inevitably works its way up into the brush. You really don’t want to load up the brush.”
Inspired to try some new projects? There are plenty more where this one came from:
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