How To Create A Colour Block Square (Or Any Other Shape!) On Your Wall
I’ve been asked SO many times to create a tutorial for the process I used to create the pink square behind a grid of prints in my dining room a few years ago. I did take photos at the time and found them the other day, so I took it as a sign to finally do it. I guess good things come to those who wait?!
This process will work with pretty much any shape you want to create, personally I feel that less is more, and just because you can go mad with loads of different shapes and colours, it doesn’t mean you should.
This look is much more effective if used just once. Okay, maybe twice in your home. It also looks great with a gloss version of the the main wall colour (or you could use a clear varnish), or a brighter white used on top of a warm white. Basically the possibilities are endless and you can play with a tiny bit of contrast, or a lot!
It’s super easy to do, and even better - super easy to paint over if you get bored of it or want to change the colour. Just make sure you give the edge a sand, as the tape will most likely have caused the painted edge to be a little bit raised and you will still see the shape under any new coats of paint if you don’t sand first.
Okay, let’s get to it…
1. Use painters tape to mask off the area you want to paint.
For this I made sure my square would be central on the wall and that the artwork could be spaced evenly within it with an even border of about ten centimetres all around.
I also had various holes that needed to be filled and sanded as you can see in the image below. Do your prep before taping, making sure that everything is thoroughly dry first.
Use a credit card to apply gentle pressure along each piece of tape to make sure it has good adhesion to the wall.
2. Paint over the inner edge with the original wall colour if you have it. If you have painted more than a year or two ago, chances are that even if you have the original tin of paint you used that it might no longer look exactly the same, so you may want to consider painting the full wall a few days before (at least!) to get a perfect finish.
This step isn’t essential (especially if you don’t have the original wall colour!), but it will seal the tape and prevent any bleeding of the feature colour. If the original colour does bleed through as this point you can’t see it as it’s the same as the base colour, and the new colour will not be able to bleed through as you have now created a seal. So whilst not essential, it does make a big difference, so do it if you can.
3. When the paint is dry, go in with your chosen colour. I chose Nancy’s Blushes by Farrow & Ball (my base wall colour is Navajo White by Benjamin Moore). To keep the cost down I just bought a couple of sample pots.
Do one coat (I use a small foam roller and a brush for the edges, wait til it dries, do a second coat (repeat if it needs a third coat) and....
4. Carefully remove the tape before the top coat completely dries. Not the second you finish painting, maybe give it ten/fifteen minutes, and then remove.
Obviously you need to be careful of the wet paint on the tape as you’re removing it. Pull the tape off SLOWLY at a 45 degree angle.
It really is that simple. Promise!
Okay, so if it’s so simple, why did my tape peel some other layers of paint off?
Well, in this instance it’s because there is lining paper on this wall (I dread to think what the state of the plaster is underneath and don’t intend to find out any time soon). It is NOT recommended to use painters tape on lining paper. I knew this and chose to do it anyway, so I was fully expecting some fallout from it.
It wasn’t a big deal for me to go back in once everything was fully dry and give the edge of the spots where the paint has come away a sand and patch up the paint.
Other reasons this can happen is if the tape is too sticky (use the low tack tape if you have delicate surfaces - especially if they have been painted recently) or if the base wall colour hasn’t been on long (again use the delicate surfaces tape), or if there is any kind of dampness in the wall or if the base colour is unstable for any reason (not painted properly in the first place).
Basically it’s always a bit of a risk using tape, but if you’re willing to risk it and can deal with a bit of patching up if necessary then go for it.
If you have a really steady hand and aren’t concerned with a super straight lines, you could just lightly draw your shape and forego the tape completely - I think that’s really the only way of guaranteeing there won’t be any peeling.
I used yellow Frog Tape which is for delicate surfaces - obviously it still took some paint off but it’s not the tapes fault. It’s actually great stuff, and I’ve used it many times before without issue.
I hope you found that helpful and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @frenchforpineapple if you go for it!
Here are some links to a few of my favourite products that will help you get the job done. There are loads of other brands of painters tape, but these are the only ones I’ve used.
[Affiliate links]
