Wallpaper Borders

Border strips made of wall covering materials are a unique way to add style to a room or to highlight an architectural feature, such as a fireplace mantel. You can use these borders in any room and on both painted and wall papered surfaces. Interesting borders are easy to find or make. Matching borders are available for many wall covering designs (check the sample books in
a wallpaper store). You can also create your own customized borders by cutting full-size wallpaper into narrow strips. To make this job easier, use a striped pattern with a nondirectional design. For another interesting effect, trim around the outline of a pattern inside a wide stripe.
There are many possible ways to place a wallpaper border in a room. Use it as a crown molding around the perimeter of a ceiling. Position the border so that it frames a window, door or fireplace. On a painted wall, create a chair rail border or place a line of wallpaper along the top of the wainscoting.

Step 1
A. Plan the layout of the border, starting in the least conspicuous corner of the room.
B. If the border isn’t being placed along a ceiling or baseboard, draw a light pencil line around the wall at the desired height, using a level as a guide. Measure the line down from the ceiling or up from the floor, whichever is shorter.

Step 2
A. Cut and prepare the first border strip.
B. Beginning at the selected corner, apply the border along the reference line, overlapping it onto the adjacent wall by ½ in.
C. Press the border flat along the wall with a smoothing brush. Have a helper unfold the unused portion of the border as you apply and brush it into place.


Step 3
A. Form a 14-jn. tuck just beyond each inside corner, then continue to apply the border.
B. Cut the border at the corner using a utility knife and broadknife.
C. Peel back the tucked strip and smooth it around the corner. Press the border flat.
D. Apply seam adhesive to the lapped seam, if necessary.

Step 4
A. For seams that fall in the middle of a wall, overlap the border strips so the patterns match.
B. Cut through both layers with a utility knife, then peel back the border and remove the cut ends.
C. Press the border flat. After half an hour, roll the seam.
D. Rinse excess adhesive from the border, using a damp sponge.

Step 5
A. To cut-in the border flush with walicovering, overlap the border onto the wailcovering.
B. Use a straightedge and a utility knife to cut through the underlying wallcovering along the border edge.
C. Pull up the border; remove excess wailcovering. Press the border down flat.

Decorative painting

Decorative painting techniques offer an easy and inexpensive way to add visual texture to walls. All you need is a sponge, some paint and a clean, dry wall. For a watercolor effect, use soft, light colors. For a bolder look, select colors with strong contrasts. Often, the second-darkest color is used as the base coat, and the accent colors are applied from darkest to lightest. You can use the techniques described here either together or separately. Before you start, experiment on
cardboard to see the effect you’ll get.

Sponging
A. Apply a base coat of the desired background color to a clean, prepared surface. Allow to dry.
B. Rinse a natural sea sponge in water to soften it; squeeze it dry.
C. Pour a little of the first accent color onto a paint tray. Dab the sponge in the paint, taking care not to overload it. Blot it on newsprint until it makes a light impression.
D. Using a quick, light touch, press the sponge gently onto the wall (don't drag it). Turn it often to produce an irregular effect. (If you’ll be adding another color, apply the first color sparingly.)
E. Apply the first color to the entire area, until the individual sponge marks are no longer obvious. Stand back often to examine the wall, and fill in as necessary.
F. Allow the first color to dry Rinse the sponge and the paint tray.
G. Repeat these steps for each color of paint. When you apply the last color, fill in between the earlier sponge marks, to blend the colors.

Marbling
A. Following the instructions for Sponging, apply the first accent paint in diagonal drifts that meander randomly up the wall.
B. Soften the edges of the drifts by gently blotting wet paint with a tissue and lightly whisking a dry paintbrush over the surface.
C. Apply the second color of paint or glaze in a lighter tone, blending the textures and colors.
D. Embellish the surface by veining it.

Veining
A. Select a metallic paint or an accent color. If you’d like a translucent effect, thin the paint with water.
B. Dip the tip of a turkey quill feather or fine fan brush into the paint. (Veining feathers are available in the paint department of home improvement stores.) Remove excess paint on a piece of newsprint.
C. Draw the tip of the feather or brush lightly along the surface at a 45-degree angle. Use a trembling motion so the veins wave, break off and reappear. Fork the veins,
and cross one over another.
D. When crossing over a vein, lift the feather or brush and shift direction.
E. To vary the width of a vein, twist your wrist as you move the feather along.

Texture Painting Suggestions

Texture painting involves working thickened paint into an interesting pattern that adds a three-
dimensional effect to a wall. You can use specially designed texture paint or powder and almost any kind of tool or instrument to create a textured effect. Use a premixed latex texture paint
to produce light stipple patterns, and a thicker powder texture to create heavier adobe or stucco finishes. To mix the powder texture with water, use a power drill fitted with a paint mixer attachment. Here are some ideas for texture painting techniques to help you get started.

Stipple Texture
Use a long-nap roller. For different patterns, vary the pressure on the roller and the amount of texture paint on the surface of the wall.

Swirl Pattern
Apply the texture paint with a roller, then use a small whisk broom to create a repeated swirl design.

Adobe Pattern
Trowel texture material onto the surface and pile it up in ridges.

Brocade Design
Trowel over the partially dried paint to flatten the peaks. Clean the trowel after each stroke with a wet brush or sponge.

Stucco Pattern
Dab, drag or swirl a sponge texture paint until you find a you like.

Two-Tone Stucco
Sponge on a layer of texture paint. Let the paint dry, then sponge another color over it.

Crows foot Design
Apply texture paint with a Brush it level, then randomly strike the surface with the flat of a

Stomp Design
Randomly press the flat side of a trowel into the texture paint, pull it away.

Texture Painting

Although texture is an important element of our homes, we often overlook the subtle background surfaces that surround us. Texture painting is a way to bring that element to the fore by adding a third dimension to walls. The possibilities for texture painting variations are almost limitless.
The depth of the texture you’ll get will depend on the stiffness of the paint, the amount you apply to the surface and the tool you use to create the texture pattern. As with any painting project,
begin by washing and drying the walls thoroughly, to ensure that the paint will adhere properly to the surface. For best results, experiment with different textures on sheets of cardboard until you get the effect you’re looking for.

Sprucing Up Walls

Although the walls of our homes are backdrops for all our indoor activities, too often we simply paint them white and maybe put up a picture or two. So it’s easy to overlook the potential that a relatively simple wall improvement may have to significantly enhance a room’s style, function and livability.

In over the coming days, we’ll look at a variety of simple ways to add interest to walls by using decorative painting and wallpapering techniques, wall trim and mirrors. These home improvement projects require only simple do-it-yourself skills.

Wall Treatments
There are many excellent books that describe basic paint and wall covering techniques; our posts will focus specifically on decorative techniques that can add a creative finishing touch to your walls. They include texture painting, decorative painting, wallpaper borders and upholstered walls. If you’re new to painting or wall papering, start small until you gain confidence and master the basic techniques involved.

Wall Trim
Another relatively easy way to add personality to a dull wall is to install trim, such as a wall frame molding, crown molding or wainscoting. All these wall trim projects require only basic carpentry skills. Wall frame molding is very simple to install and offers an excellent design solution for a large expanse of unadorned wall. Although crown molding can add great character to a room, traditional installation techniques require you to cut tricky compound and angled joints. The project shown here will present a much simpler approach.

Wainscoting
Wainscoting is a covering over the lower part of a wall that has both decorative and practical uses. In addition to adding the warmth of natural wood to a room, it helps protect the wall from wear and tear. Wainscoting is traditionally used in kitchens, baths, dining rooms,
libraries and hallways. Here we will show you two easy and inexpensive styles: pressed-metal
wainscoting (the embossed squares used for tin ceilings) and prefabricated oak veneer library panels. Either of these wainscotings can be installed in a medium-size room in
a weekend.

Mirrors
Mirrors are perhaps the best way to create the illusion of space in a small or cramped room—and compared to other wall options, they're inexpensive and easy to install. Here you’ll learn how to select and place mirrors to create the effect you’re looking for, and how to mount a clean mirror properly. This section will also offer several suggestions for using mirrors in a bathroom or kitchen. In many homes, the bathroom and kitchen are the smallest rooms—which
means they have the most to gain from the space-expanding effect of a well-placed mirror.