A mural project in chronological photos

Lighting, floor space, and wall color impact how to and what to use to go from digital idea to painted art. Here's how I approached a small bathroom project. A mural project in chronological photos.

7/8/20243 min read

A half-bathroom painted in charcoal grey for a floral mural around the entire ceiling edge.
A half-bathroom painted in charcoal grey for a floral mural around the entire ceiling edge.
An under staircase half-bath painted charcoal grey in preperation for an interior mural.
An under staircase half-bath painted charcoal grey in preperation for an interior mural.
When sketching in a mural, try using colored chalk. It stands out and you can paint right over it with no issues.
When sketching in a mural, try using colored chalk. It stands out and you can paint right over it with no issues.
Use colored chalk to sketch in your mural designs. You can wipe it away for changes with a damp rag.
Use colored chalk to sketch in your mural designs. You can wipe it away for changes with a damp rag.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up over the colored chalk sketched for a wall mural.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up over the colored chalk sketched for a wall mural.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up over the colored chalk sketched for a wall mural, wall number 3.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up over the colored chalk sketched for a wall mural, wall number 3.
Adding details to peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up a wall mural.
Adding details to peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up a wall mural.
Adding details to peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up a wall mural. Wall 3.
Adding details to peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up a wall mural. Wall 3.
Adding details to peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up a wall mural. Wall 1.
Adding details to peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up a wall mural. Wall 1.
Adding details to peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up a wall mural. Wall 3.
Adding details to peonies, flower, foliage and leaves building up a wall mural. Wall 3.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves half bath wall mural. Wall 1 finished.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves half bath wall mural. Wall 1 finished.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves half bath wall mural. Wall 2 finished.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves half bath wall mural. Wall 2 finished.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves half bath wall mural. Wall 2 finished.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves half bath wall mural. Wall 2 finished.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves half bath wall mural. Wall 2 finished.
Peonies, flower, foliage and leaves half bath wall mural. Wall 2 finished.

Painting a mural requires patience, planning, and focus. The focus comes from your color pallet. Once you've chosen those colors, do not deviate unless the design itself has changed. Your color pallet keeps your art professional looking. Planning comes from considering how the space will be lit and used. There's no romancing the idea of bad lighting. Murals do best in blue light spectrum. Patience starts with knowing the time this takes will be the time you need to stick to your plans and focus.

Don't rush your work. Let the work do its job. Patience. Planning. Focus.

Approach your mural dream with these questions:

The idea of filling a space as large as a wall feels intimidating. Design, color, and layout, no matter the wall size or window count, remains the same as principles for art and print. The only difference is the size and the impact it will bring. When you're considering a mural for a wall first thing first. Don't go on Pinterest quite yet. You're looking for your wall, not someone else's.

  • Take a walk around your entire home. Look at the colors you lean into. Consider the colors you wish were there. Make notes on these.

  • What's your lifestyle? Is it obvious through design, or how pillows get thrown into a pile on the couch? Does the use of your space dictate, or does the decor?

We how live in our homes, will have temporary messes, permanent messes, and then corners piled with things we'll use again tomorrow. We're too busy to live in a Pinterest home. And that's where a mural steps in and says, "Hello." A mural can bring that feel, color, element, emotion, or reflection into a space that is just too busy serving your lifestyle, to be a lifestyle statement.

What about a bigger project? Take a scroll through a large two adjoining walls project that included a big window and larger closet design challenge.

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kathy@kathylafollett.com

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