Finally A DIY Anyone With A Paint Brush Can Do: A Series Of The Best Paint Ideas On The Internet

image via yellowtrace | design by ester bruzkus

While I am currently a white-wall loving female, there was a time long long ago where my teeny tiny, zero natural light, New York “apartment” donned a cherry red accent wall with a surrounding 5-inch bright white border (paired next to a turquoise and gold Anthropologie wallpaper…). Sure, it was bold. Suuuurre, it was a questionable color choice for the space. BUT it was berry happy…ha, get it? Paint has the power to do that, to make a space fun and happy but at a FAR better price point than say Anthropologie wallpaper that sweet, dumb 23-year-old me thought she should splurge on. The great thing now (as opposed to eight years ago) is that there are so many incredibly cool, chic yet easy examples online that with a quick trip to your nearest paint store could be on your walls in a matter of hours. So if your room needs a refresh or you are yearning for something more than your average white wall, I have a ton of ideas that even the most hesitant DIYer could tackle. Plus, do you want to know what the best part is? Paint can be painted over. So aside from the money lost on paint, you can very easily change your mind. Emily herself will admit to doing this on plenty of different occasions. Let’s get to it so you can go get some paint.

Pardon my what will no doubt be endless referencing to my recent vacation but I was sitting in a cafe called Bristo Levante in Barcelona (that was obnoxious I know and I’m sorry) and I noticed that the calming pale pink wall color stopped about a foot short of the ceiling. Was that the first time I had seen this? No. But I was reminded of how simple yet impactful it was. AND EASY. Here are some visuals of what I am talking about.

image via kammy

See how pretty and non-daunting this is? Get some a paint, tape, painting tools and you are in business. Our biggest tip for drama is to challenge the proportions of the standard chair rail height (about 3 feet). That means to go higher or lower than that height. For example, take the creative genius of Chzon and how they chose to play with a low height of the navy blue paint in the Henrietta Hotel in London. This small detail makes a huge, chic impact.

image via chzon | design by chzon

One trend I have noticed and am here for is the use of limewash instead of the average paint sold in hardware stores. It creates a beautiful texture that not only gives depth to a space but really brings a wall to life. This treatment is not sold everywhere so you might need to do a little Google search and because of the texture isn’t super easy to cover up so renters should really think about how much they are willing to invest when they move out.

image via the design files | design by chelsea hing

Moving on up…and by that I mean ceilings. Now if you really want some killer visual impact, paint your ceiling either a dramatic color or create a cool pattern. Not sure about this idea? Well, I am here to convince you otherwise…

image via site unseen | design by elisa ossino

My heart hurts I love these dark ceilings (above and below) so damn much. I honestly can’t decide which one I love more. I think why they both work so beautifully is due to the high contrast of light and dark. There is still a sense of airiness because each space is so well balanced. This is something you should absolutely keep in mind if you are wanting to dive into this for your home.

image via remodelista | design by pierre yovanovitch

If the solid look isn’t your jam and you want to go for some crazy cool stripes, well, below you’ll find my two favorite inspiration photos. First, let’s start with Sarah Sherman Samuel‘s forest green geometric creation for her son’s room. What I (we) love about Sarah is her ability to design a home for someone like Mandy Moore but then get super DIY and in a matter of hours create this awesome geometric ceiling design with nothing but paint and tape. It should also be mentioned that she eyeballed it. She is that good, people. My heart was actually racing as I watched her instastories and seeing how fast and loose she did this. I mean she is a pro so it wasn’t actually fast and loose but as someone who hems and haws over the tiniest of any design decision in my home, it was a rollercoaster of amazement and stress. The best part about this ceiling though is that anyone can do it…you just might need to measure because most of us aren’t Sarah.

image via sarah sherman samuel | design by sarah sherman samuel

This next ceiling example I fell for as soon as I saw it. Not only do I love the overall design and color but the creativity to incorporate the sconces is simply too good. It’s playful, cool and with some planning wouldn’t be too hard to do something similar. Also, yes the stripes go across the entire ceiling and it’s very awesome. And while red might be a BIT bold for most of us, this could be so stunning in a colorblock look or even a subtle tone-on-tone (like a slate blue wall and a blue just a shade or two darker).

image via elle decor russia | design by amber road

This next idea is THE drama queen of paint jobs. And while dramatic due to it’s dark and moody hues, it’s also kind of the easiest as zero painter’s tape is required because every last inch of the space is the same color. Yes, I mean walls, ceiling, doors and trim. Let’s dive all in.

image via site unseen | design by elisa ossino

Quick and easy, no? Just lots and lots of really beautiful paint.