Sunday, August 31, 2014

Master Bedroom Paint

This is the first of what I hope to be a long line of home improvement projects.  I am the happy owner of a Craftsman inspired home, and I have every intention of introducing some old world charm into this new build.  I have big plans for some finish carpentry, but like all new homeowners, I'm going for the biggest bang-for-my-buck project, interior paint.  It's been a month, and I'm getting tired of white walls!

The first item up for bid is the master bedroom.  Months ago, while the house was nothing more than a shell of framing, I had decided to paint an accent wall in my room that was inspired by a mosaic tile pattern I'd seen.  With the help of my partner, Chad, a professional video game environment artist, we came up with the concept.



Three of the colors are Behr. Medieval Forest, Scotland Road, and Mystic Sea.  The last color is Ralph Lauren Silver Grey Metallic.

To accomplish this pattern, we first needed to tape off the wall every square foot.


Plumb lines were particularly challenging, but a 4' level was our tool of choice.



Next came the horizontal lines.  The laser level became our best friend.



The resulting pattern reminded me of a gingham picnic blanket.


The pattern really began to take shape once we cut away the unnecessary tape to reveal the intended geometry.


Two and a half hours later we could begin to paint.  One color...



Two colors...

Three colors...

Four.  It looked like kind of a mess, and I really started to lose my patience to pull the tape off.


Once I did though...


And the result was well worth the effort. Although, Bueller might disagree, having been exiled for the day.  He was happy to assume his normal position, and we were happy to go to bed after a long day!