Wallpaper Alternatives and High Impact Entryways

I wanted to make a statement in this small entryway, but didn’t want to spend a fortune on wallpaper or decals. After scouring the internet at nauseam for just the right thing and trying to rationalize the cost, I decided I wasn’t ready to commit to a pattern or the expense of it all. Queue many more hours of Pinterest scrolling, trying to convince myself that I could instead PAINT something on the wall - simultaneously flexing my creativity and saving a couple hundred bucks.

There are many stencils out there, but my confidence was running high and decided to give free hand a go.

I started in the bottom right corner, working to figure out the right technique to achieve the irregularity I was after, but with distinct and crisp edges. I tried different paint brushes, holding said paint brushes at different angles, you name it. Ultimately I realized that trying to be too precise was not helpful and aiming for consistency vs. perfection was the ticket. As I continued with each dot, I’d aim to keep consistent spacing but alternate the directions of the dots to keep things more organic.

If I were to do it again (and I did), I’d save myself some time and headaches by sticking to one method. After two rounds at this and about 3,000+ dots later, I had the most success with the corner of a simple foam brush. Simply dab your brush into the paint, angle the corner tip on the wall and press slightly down while going in a circular motion. Make sure you have enough paint to get good coverage, but not too much to cause drips. It’s a little bit of trial and error, but thats the fun of it. Find a spare piece of cardboard to practice on if you want, and then get to gettin!