Need A Big Design Change On Tight Budget? These 6 DIY Paint Ideas Will Get You There

Everyone on the EHD team (and from the comments, a lot of you) have been itching to do something bold in our homes and there’s this courageous, awesome, “screw it, what’s the worst that could happen?” attitude happening. Sara even wrote about her thoughts and feeling on the topic in this post. This collective deep need is likely due to the perfect storm of long-time white-washed design content, the lack of visual stimulation from the outside world (thanks, COVID), and the daily staring contest we have with our walls (another big shoutout to COVID). So we thought that we all needed this post and for it to serve as a pep talk for us to take that chance and give our home a bold moment we are craving. And one that doesn’t require all of our money. Some of these ideas are VERY easy, while others may require you to bring out your Hilma af Klint and use all of that creative talent you’ve been storing inside. There is something for everyone, I promise. So let’s grab our brushes and get to it because your eyes are about to be filled up with a lot of design joy.

Let’s start with a trend because trends are fun:)

The Handpainted Scallops (Especially Pink Ones:))



design by katie sarokhanian, photos by kelly christine, from: “the kitchen coronavirus built”: a jaw-dropping, diy kitchen that truly proves the sky’s the limit

This has been the real surprise star of 2020. I guess if there is ever a time to go for with scallops it’s now! While they may not be for everyone, in the right space they add a heck of a lot of magic and whimsey.

Above, you might recognize that incredible DIY kitchen when we featured it a couple of weeks ago. Katie (the creator of that incredible DIY kitchen) started out using a stencil but then got bored so decided to freehand. She (and we) love that it has a touch of an organic feel.

left: photo and design by aileen grodzinsky | right: design and photo by bre bertolini

But if you are someone like me who tends to need things to be exact, then feast your eyes on the two awesome rooms above. Playing with scale is something that you definitely want to consider when “scalloping”. The larger scale that Aileen Grodzinsky chose for her parlor room, is the perfect medium size so that it worked with both wallpapers. Then for Bre Bertolini’s little girl’s room, the sweet small delicate size gives it more of a traditional feel that perfectly pairs with the modern traditional style of the room. Here is a stencil you can purchase to help:)

design and photo by emma på långagärdet

But are you in the mood to get even crazier? Then mixing up the scallop sizes is also a great option. Who wouldn’t want to have that room as a kid…or let’s be honest, an adult who wants to feel like a kid? What, just me?

Ok, now let’s get into the next 2020 DIY wall paint star…

The Handpainted “Wallpaper”



design and photo by carmeon hamilton

I believe it was Domino who recently posted a headline that said something about the freedom of painting a custom design on your walls. I couldn’t find the article again but I’m 99% it was them. Despite not bookmarking the article (ugh!) it really struck a chord with me. In a year when basically everything and everyone feels completely restricted, finding moments to breakthrough creatively is so important and liberating. So why not try to paint your own pattern on your wall? If you mess up then you can just paint over it! Sure it’s time consuming but a lot of us have more time than ever to let our inner artist free. Consider it a budget-friendly therapy session. So let’s talk about these awesome examples…

First off, if you aren’t already following Carmeon Hamilton WHAT ARE YOU DOING? This woman has awesome, bold design coming out of her pores. The dining room above and the hallway below both are testaments to this fact. If you want to see her whole process in action, here is an Instagram highlight outlining everything on how she came up with the design for the dining room. For the hallway, Carmeon really loved this Kelly Wearstler wallpaper but said it was too expensive to purchase. So instead, she did her own version with her paintbrush (always giving credit to her inspiration, of course). Y’all, you can do this too. I believe in you!

design and photo by carmeon hamilton

But if freehand custom patterns are too much for you to tackle then let painter’s tape be your friend.

design by sarah sherman samuel

Above, Sarah Sherman Samuel gave her little girl a temporary nursery while their home was being renovated. Yes, this was the temporary one! When using painter’s tape to create stripes, the one very hard thing to avoid is the inevitable rough edges. BEWARE. Especially if you don’t have a smooth wall to work with. If that’s going to drive you nuts then I have another option for you…

design and photo by tanieka harris

Deja vu?! You are correct…kinda. Tanieka Harris was so inspired by Sarah’s DIY that she did her own version. But guess what? She used white gaffer’s tape instead of paint! That’s right I’m changing the rules just for a second. So instead of worrying if her lines were going to be rough, she decided it would be much easier, and just as awesome, to paint the wall tan and then add the white tape on top. Genius.

Side note: Look how effortlessly these stripes work in two completely differently styled rooms?? They both look incredible!

design and photo by tanieka harris

And can we take a minute to ooh and aah over her camouflaged striped dresser idea?! For this one, since the dresser was already white, she did use painter’s tape and a similar tan paint to create those stripes. But since the dresser had such a smooth surface, rough edges were of no concern. To see the whole room process check out her Instagram highlight