This blog post is sponsored by The Home Depot.
My house has gone through a bit of a facelift these past few months. I’m so excited about all of the changes because they make my home feel so much more grown-up. One of the things I was most excited about doing, was my gallery wall!
The original gallery wall looked something like this. It was a bland wall with art and photos that didn’t have a ton of meaning. Instead, with the help of my decorator, Rachael of Snow Studio, we not only came up with a new layout for images, but a super fun DIY for the wall too with The Home Depot.
My decorator initially suggested wallpaper for this wall. But I have NO idea how to hang wallpaper and thought it would be a difficult project to attempt on my own. Plus, even though it’s a small wall, it still would have cost a pretty penny.
Instead, I decided to mimic the wallpaper and do a DIY brushstroke accent wall. It couldn’t have been easier and more fun to do. Here’s what I did and how you can create this statement wall in just a couple of hours and the help of The Home Depot.
How To Do A DIY Brushstroke Accent Wall
This project could not have been easier. You only need a handful of supplies available at The Home Depot. And it costs next to nothing. Which is even better, right?
Plus, it’s super fast and can be done in just a couple of hours. It was also very enjoyable. I had a great time doing it. Just throw on some music or a podcast and get to work!
What You Need
- Paintbrush – I used this one, but you can grab a few and test them out!
- Paper
- Paint
- Drop Cloth – optional but I’m messy and needed it
- Painter’s Tape
Step One – Grab Some Paint
I headed to The Home Depot and picked up a few paint color samples. I was torn between a few options and ideas. From going dark to match my BEHR MARQUEE® Starless Night in the living room, to choosing a more neutral like BEHR Sedona Pick.
I also picked out PPG Jamaican Dream that’s a bit more bright and electric. To find a happy medium, I also got a sample of BEHR Dayflower to test out and BEHR Hemisphere.
Grabbing a few samples is affordable and you’ll make sure you get the right color. Also, if you’re trying to match a specific color, I highly recommend using the ProjectColor™ App.
It’s a great app for your phone where you can upload or take a photo in the app and it easily finds the perfect color match. You can find a match from anything like a photo, fabric, or wallpaper!
Step Two – Pick A Few Brushes
This one is totally up to you and your preference. Each brush will give you a different look. I picked up a standard 1-inch sponge brush and a handful of flat and trim brushes in different sizes. I recommend purchasing a few so you can find one that works for your style and vibe you’re going for.
Step Three – Test Out Your Paints + Brush Strokes
Once you have these two things, head home and test out your paints and brushes. Use basic white paper to just practice and see what you like. I even hung a few on the wall to see which colors I liked best.
I tested out a handful of colors and ended up really liking this mid-blue called Hemisphere by BEHR. It was in between the Dayflower and the bright saturated Jamaican Dream from The Home Depot’s 2020 color trends.
I also really liked the 1-inch angle brush out of all the brushes I picked up. I found the brush to be a tad too thick for what I had in mind, so I actually cut off about half of them making it less thick, but still 1 inch in length.
Step Four – Get Your Paint!
Now that you’ve figured out which paint color you want, head to Home Depot’s paint department and get yourself some paint! A small accent wall won’t require a ton of paint and I used just a pint.
I used the BEHR MARQUEE® One-Coat Interior Paint formula to make it super easy. Just one coat is all you need. I chose to do this in an eggshell finish.
Step Five – Set Your Wall Up For Success
You can do a few things here. For me, I make a mess so I taped my trim using FrogTape Multi-Surface Painters Tape and also got a drop cloth. If your wall isn’t already the color you want for the background, be sure to paint that a few days before you do the accent wall.
I just went with classic white. I personally don’t think you need to stress about the white underneath since most of it will be covered by your brushstrokes.
Step Six – Start Painting!
This is the fun part. As in, IT’S SO MUCH FUN! There’s really no rhyme or reason here. Just start somewhere and keep going. I found doing the trim areas of the wall in one step each was easiest. It definitely took a bit more effort to keep things off the wall/trim.
The rest though is really a free for all. Just make strokes in the same direction all over. Keep things somewhat similar.
My strokes ended up being shorter strokes up and down just like I practiced. I varied the starting point of the lines so they weren’t all horizontal in a straight line. But I’ve definitely seen tutorials where you can do this. I preferred the more organic look and it made it easier without having to worry about being in a straight line.
I found myself adding paint to the brush every 6-8 strokes, if not sooner. Definitely keep your paint close by. Mine was in my hand the entire time. If you’re using a gallon, I’d recommend pouring some into an easy to use cup that you can hold and bring with you while moving around the wall.
That’s it!
This project really couldn’t have been easier. And it’s so fun and simple. There’s no way to really screw it up either. You can also see my tutorial on IGTV and IG Highlights here. I can’t wait to see your projects come to life!
