DIY Diva: How to Paint an Accent Wall

UPDATD: Howdy to the Living with Lindsay readers!!! Thanks for stopping by!

JJ brought her first piece of art recently...it's a ceramic installation. What that means, I have no idea. Anywhoo, I showed my friend Barbie and she recommended that I hang it above my bed, but paint an accent color behind it so it "pops" more. I had been secretly thinking the same thing, but will let her win this one. This was a big project...a project for DIY DIVA!

Tips from DIY DIVA, purchase all your supplies and get them ready...large projects like this will take a couple of days and you'll need painters tape, a laser level, primer, paint, various screws and nails, and PATIENCE!

First, get you handy dandy laser level (mine cost me 15 bucks at the Depot) and tape off your stripes in about 18 inch segments. Don't go too long on the tape, otherwise it will be unruly to get straight lines and can be troublesome when it comes to pulling the tape off. **Idiot's note: move your headboard, 600-thread count sheets, etc, before you begin a painting project.

If you have textured walls, such as the JJ does, you'll need to go through by hand and get the tape into the grooves and crevices. This is a pain in the butt, but you'll be much happier later when you don't have leaks everywhere.

If you're painting a saturated color, like red, you'll want a primer with a tinge of color. Because I was using a deep red to match my pillows and drapes on the other wall, I got pink. Don't worry, I didn't paint my wall pink!

Once the primer is finished, pull the tape off. It's important to take the tape off while the paint is still wet...otherwise, the tape can pull off the dry paint and nobody wants that!

It's also important to not sleep next to a painty wall...you might have weird dreams due to the fumes. I slept in the living room on the aerobed. Hi Whoopi!

Now, it's time to put the tape back on and get start the real paint job! Go through the motions again and get the tape down into the dreaded lumps. Then, get your paint on! **Idiot's note: even though you've primed, don't expect your saturated color to go on perfectly the first time. I needed a couple of coats to get my red to the right color!

Make sure to paint the edges just as dark as the center...you don't want to have blotchy sections. Another trick in fighting the "blotch" is to paint in Ws, rather than straight up and down...nobody likes lines in their paint jobs!

In spite of the fact you used tape, don't freak if it didn't work out perfectly...like I did. Instead, whip out your base color and smooth over the edges.

Once the paint is dry, it's time to pull out the laser level again to hang the art piece!

Ta Da - the finished product!!!

Hello, beautiful! Welcome to your new home....and Dear God, please let there never be a major earthquake again...especially while I'm sleeping. I love my dresses, but don't think I'd enjoy being conked in the head by one!