Nursery Makeover with a Sweet Striped Accent Wall

Are you or someone you love expecting? Creating a cute-as-can-be nursery doesn’t have to be a challenge, and with tips from KILZ^® you can color the space any way you choose! In this new nursery, soft colors are painted in a sweet striped pattern to create a playful accent wall. The colors pop because the wall was primed before it was painted! Want to recreate the look for yourself? This painting project is simple to do at home.

When painting a porous surface like new drywall, KILZ^® 1 Standard Primer is recommended. Designed for use on multiple interior surfaces, KILZ^® 1 Standard Primer seals porous surfaces and promotes a more uniform appearance of the topcoat. To begin, wipe down the accent wall with a damp cloth to ensure it is clean and free of dust and allow the surface to dry. Next, apply KILZ^® 1 Standard Primer to seal the porous surface of the new drywall. Apply primer using a brush first to “cut in” around edges, then use a roller to fill in. Allow 1-hour dry time.

Now it’s time for paint! Selecting the lightest of the three paint colors as the base, apply KILZ Tribute^® in Flying Dove to the entire accent wall. Use a brush first to cut in around edges 4 to 6 feet at a time, then use a roller to fill in those sections before moving along. Allow 1-hour dry time. Next up, painting the striped pattern! Measure the height of the wall and divide by the desired number of stripes to determine the width of each stripe. Use a measuring tape, pencil and level, mark the placement of each stripe, then apply painter’s tape to each line (ensuring the tape is on the correct side of the line so the stripes are even).  Using a roller, paint every third stripe in BEHR Premium Plus^® in Calla. Repeat the above steps to paint every other remaining stripe in Misty Morning. Remove the painter’s tape (pulling off at an angle) before the paint has fully dried to ensure clean lines.

To finish up the sweet space, we primed and painted a plain wood rocking chair in the same light blue shade used for the striped accent wall – KILZ Tribute^® in Misty Morning. It really ties the nursery together! When painting wood furniture, it is advised to always use primer first. Primer will help protect the wood and will ensure better adhesion and truer color from your paint. For this chair refresh we used KILZ 2^® All-Purpose Primer, a great choice for furniture upcycling projects. To learn how to paint a chair of your own, keep reading below!

Step 1:

Remove chair cushion and set aside.

Step 2:

Sand the entire surface of the chair; do a first pass with 100-150 grit sandpaper then finish with a second pass of 180-220 grit sandpaper.

Step 3:

After sanding, wipe down the surface with a damp cloth to remove any dust or residue and allow the surface to dry before moving on to primer.

Step 4:

Apply KILZ 2^® All-Purpose Primer, moving in the same direction as the wood grain for best results. Allow primer to dry for 1 hour.

Step 5:

Next it’s time for paint! Apply KILZ Tribute^® in Misty Morning using a nylon or polyester blend brush, moving in smooth strokes that go the same direction as the wood grain.