DIY: HOW TO WHITE WASH WALLS

Call me crazy, but not long after I had painted the dining room with a VERY vibrant apple green in Spring, I was looking for a change. It's probably because I had gotten so incredibly inspired by the gorgeous blue waters of Hollywood beach, I wanted to try to recreate its look at home. Another inspiration had come from seeing the sun washed colors of the buildings Key Largo. Before doing the large wall, I did a test spot and lived with it for a few days. I decided I liked it, so one afternoon, I pulled everything back, threw down the drop cloths, got out my paints, mixing bowls, sponges and a cookie sheet and went to town! It was a messy process... but I love the end result.

Mixed together about 1 part paint to 3 parts water in a bowl.

And used a sponge to literally "wash" the walls with.

But just using the white over green wasn't ocean blue enough.

To get the blue of the ocean, I did the same mix with last years turquoise.

Although I mostly used white, I'd apply turquoise in some areas, and wash back over it with the white again to tone it down.

I applied the wash in a circular motion, starting at the top (because yes - it drips) right corner, worked my way down, and up and over by sections. Doing a circular motion helped to blend the paints and the sections.

One layer wasn't enough - it was still too green.

After the first layer dried, I went back and repeated the process.

Top left corner original green still peeking out before applying the white wash.

Even though I used a sponge, this isn't the "sponge" faux painting of the 90's. That was more dabbing paint on to give a flat wall texture. Since all our walls already are textured, doing the wash enhanced it as a feature.

After the second layer, it was starting to get more of the wash I was looking for.

Adding in the turquoise really helped.

I could have just painted it - but it would have been too opaque.

I wanted to also sense the foam of the wave break on the shore...

I really enjoy experimenting with these looks in our home.

After this process, and the clean up, I also tried something different in the dining room...

But thankfully, I did this "test" on the outside before tearing it apart.

And it's a good thing, because I stood back, looked at it and said, "I don't like it."

But hey, that's what experiments are for - to try things out.

Something else I tried in the space was adding back in more green.

I did this with two paisley print tablecloths from HomeGoods - I simply hung from clip rings (like I did last year with my post: How to Paint A Black Door + A No Sew Panels Project)

And since I had also "tried" the dining table coming out from the wall, rather than parallel to it, I had some space to create a little window nook with the bench...

But I wasn't feelin' the green, so I put back the printed white linen panels.

They just felt more airy...

And like a rubber band...

I snapped and put the table back parallel to the wall.

I prefer this look for everyday, but turning the table would work better to give more seating space for guests. So the experimenting wasn't a total loss.

How often do you experiment with different looks or paint techniques in your home? Have you ever? It's a great way to refresh a space - and if you're trying a wash, you probably already have the paint and a sponge, so it could be a $0 makeover in an afternoon.

  

And with the left-over white & turquoise washed paints, you can

DIY beachy bottles...

Why not try it this weekend?!

LINKING POST TO:

Chic On A Shoestring - Flaunt It Friday

Just A Girl - Show & Share Day