Accent walls are a beautiful way to coordinate a color scheme in a space. There are plenty of ways to achieve an accent wall look. You could paint the wall a specific color, have a fun wallpaper, paint a mural (or get a gorgeous, ready to hang one from Struve’s), or you can even put glitter on the walls if you’re mentally prepared for the paint over job that will inevitably come one day. All of these are great options, but they have been done.
If you have a piece of furniture against your wall and it seems a little incomplete with a lot of empty space around it, this project is for you! By painting an arch behind the furniture, you create intrigue and add personality to the room. This would look great behind a credenza, a desk, or behind a bed in lieu of a headboard.
Materials Needed for This Project
Yarn or string
Pencil
Thumb Tack
Long straight edge
Painters Tape
Quart of paint in an accent color
Brush or Roller
Small container to pour the paint into
Your first step is to take the piece of string and measure out how wide you want the widest part of the arch to be. This will be the diameter of the circle you’re going to draw in a bit. Just hold the string up against the wall horizontally. Try sticking it up with tape and taking a step back to see if you like it. Tip: leave the piece of furniture you are painting behind in place to help visualize where the arch will go.
Cut the string at the diameter and fold it in half, giving you the radius. Before you cut the string in the center of the fold, factor in about extra two inches so you have a little bit to tie around your pencil with one end of the string and a small knot on the other end.
Find the center of where you want the circle to be and hold the piece of string, now representing the radius, vertically to decide how high up you want the top of the arch to hit.
Once you’ve made these decisions, move the furniture, attach one side of the string to the pencil, and tie a knot on the other end. Pin the knot to where the center of the circle will be with the thumb tack. Use the pencil to lightly draw the circle onto the wall. Make sure to hold the pencil perpendicular to the wall instead of at an angle to get an accurate and perfectly round circle.
Use a long straight edge to draw a line from the widest parts of the circle to the floor.
Using small pieces of tape (about two-inch strips), tape around the outside of the round part of the arch you have drawn and tape off the sides as well. The little pieces will help keep the line smooth along the curve.
Paint at least two coats of your accent color within the taped off area, letting the paint dry entirely between coats.
Once the arch is entirely dry, peel off the tape and put your furniture back into place. And you’re all set! A beautiful accent arch to add a pop to your space!
Patricia at Struve's