Sometimes a room just needs a little oomph. Often people are so afraid to make a mistake that they only make super-safe design decisions — and then each room ends up boring and lifeless. If that’s the case in your house, it’s time to take a risk! Decorating should be fun, and each space you design should bring you joy.
If you’re looking to turn up the style in one of your rooms, and you’re ready to be bold, this DIY dot wall might be the perfect project for you. When completed, these painted dots will give you that trendy wallpaper look for a fraction of the cost. All you need is some paint, a foam paint brush, and a couple of hours to kill.
1. Decide on a Wall
If you applied this dot technique to every wall, the room would end up looking pretty wild. Of course if that’s your preference, go for it. But for most, we recommend choosing one accent wall. In this case it’s a bedroom wall where the dresser is located, opposite the bed. This will create a focal point in the room.
2. Prep the Wall
Fill in any nail holes with drywall putty and move away any furniture that’s blocking the wall. You may choose to paint the wall a solid color before applying the dots, however it’s not necessary. In this room the dots were painted right over the current wall color in the room.
3. Start Painting
The great thing about this technique is anyone can do it, even the artistically challenged. The pattern of the dots should be intentionally random, for a confetti type layout. The dots themselves should look a bit unfinished and irregular, not perfect circles. Here’s how it’s done: Take a wide foam brush and dip the tip into your paint. Then touch the wall with your brush and spin it in a clockwise motion. The spinning motion applies the paint in a circle. Again, the paint application won’t be perfect, and that’s OK.
4. Cover the Wall with Dots
Continue to apply your dots with the spin motion brush method. Every so often, step back to view the wall and ensure that you’re pleased with the dot pattern, and fill in any jarring blank spaces.
5. Style the Wall
When your confetti dot wall is completed, put the space back together. The dots are the star of the show in this room, with only a dresser and a few simple items layered on top to style the space.
It’s as easy as that! This project will only take you an afternoon of painting, and the result is a trendy and cheerful wall that will add a jolt of energy to your space. A painted accent wall is a great spot to take some risks because you can always paint over it if you’re not happy with the results. But chances are you’re going to love this fresh patterned wall in any room. Go bold!
