You can instantly liven up a room with paint effects. Modern paint effects still incorporate some of the old techniques, but these walls can be anything but dated.

Painting one wall in a room a bold colour can create a feature wall. Add a stencilled or hand painted design to create an artistic look.

It's easy to incorporate a splash of design with paint to update a plain room or add impact to a feature wall. And all you need to do is pop into your local Builders Warehouse and grab a can or two of Plascon paint and Plascon Scumble Glaze.

Graphic designs

In a young girl's bedroom, a bold   colour blocking   technique can be used. You can use Plascon Polvin in a bold, simple colour such as matt black and paint a large rectangle behind the bed. This highlights the other colours in the room and can tie the furniture into the design, depending on what colour you use.

Tip: Add a graphic butterfly design by buying self-adhesive vinyl in black and white. Cut out the shapes and stick them onto the wall, or buy a stencil and paint on the designs by hand.

Dragging or Strie

Colour washed walls create a mystical soft touch to bold coloured walls and it is the easiest paint technique to master.

Dragging, or strie, is an easy way to add interest to a smooth surface. The technique is created by pulling a dry brush through a coat of wet tinted glaze and it allows a range of looks, including fabric-like weaves.

The effect is pronounced when there's a clear contrast between the base- and glaze-coat colours; tones of similar intensity can yield a subtler look. You can also use strie to create a feature panel.

Tip: Create a striking impact on what would otherwise be a bland wall by making the colours in the panel tie in with the colour of the chairs in the room.

Colourwash

The technique might be an old one, but   colour washing   still has a place in many modern settings. Whereas the old technique was simply to rub over the colour, more emphasis is not placed on creating a subtle washed effect. Applying a colourwash effect is one of the easiest paint effects to master.

A colour wash in a bathroom or powder room adds a magical touch to walls. Colour washing is an easy way to create a soft effect on walls without adding textured paint or wallpaper.

Tip: When choosing colours for the effect, pick colours from the same colour family, such as pale and medium blues.

Article courtesy of www.home-dzine.co.za