How to: Easy DIY Hand-Painted Brushstroke Accent Wall

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Your bedroom is your personal sanctuary, so why not make it stand out with an accent wall? This budget-friendly how-to for painting an accent wall in your bedroom is the easiest way to add a touch of personality and style to your space without all the fuss and expense of wallpaper.

Whether you’re looking for a way to refresh your space or create a cozy atmosphere, an accent wall can make all the difference. We added this accent wall design to our bedroom, where dark walls are relaxing, but you could you this same treatment in pastels or brighter colors in any other room in your house. So grab your paintbrush and get inspired!   

Materials

• Original latex wall paint color
• Black latex paint
• One inch wide paintbrush
• Washi tape
• Level
• Measuring tape

How to Make a Hand-Painted Brushstroke Accent Wall

The textures and shades of this bedroom accent wall are for a minimal and relaxing vibe, but feel free to make it your own with different colors or hues for any room in your house, from living room to dining room or your home office.

Step 1

Begin by stretching a piece of washi tape across the wall, somewhere in the middle. Attach it lightly, and then use a level to make sure it is straight. 

Step 2

Next, mix a small amount of black with your wall color. I used about a 1 to 10 ratio of black to blue. Mix it up really well and test it in an inconspicuous area. Let it dry and see how you like the color. Mine looked almost the same as the original color when wet, but dried darker.

Once you’ve decided on your color, begin making brush strokes above the tape. They should be about 3 inches tall, and I had the best luck going from bottom to top. 

Step 3

Continue painting all the way across the wall, and then do additional rows below. You can apply the tape each time if you want to let each row dry in between, but I was going for a more casual look so I did it freehand. I periodically measured up to the bottom of one side of the row and compared it with the other side of the same row to make sure I wasn’t going diagonally instead of straight across. 

Continue on until you’ve finished your entire wall, and voilà – you have a fun patterned accent wall that will add some serious character to your space. 

The strokes are not perfect, but that’s what I like about it… it has that hand painted feel that’s so popular these days, but on a large scale.

I think it looks a bit like crocodile skin, in a subtle way. But if it’s not bold enough for you, feel free to add more black! Check out what a difference a pattern makes… here’s our original guest room before the big makeover.

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