The Marble Painting Technique in Bathrooms

Preparation

• Prepare the wall to get it ready for painting. Make sure it is smooth with no chips, flakes or bumps. Patch any holes that need repairing, and remove any cracked paint chips so you have a clean and smooth work surface. Use a scraper or sandpaper to ensure the wall is flat and even. Cover the wall with primer if necessary. Gather your supplies. You will need your base color paint (three shades of the same color), translucent glaze, clear varnish, at least five synthetic brushes, one thin artist's brush, lint-free rags, sponges, paper plates, and a drop cloth or old sheets to cover the floor.

Base Color

• Cover the floor and appliances with drop cloths or old sheets. Paint the wall with all shades of your base color. Use light, medium and dark hues of the same color, sweeping them onto the wall with broad strokes. Make long diagonal stripes with each color. Add stripes of white paint randomly between the shades of your base color. Blend all the paint stripes together with a dry brush, occasionally wiping the paint off the dry brush with a lint-free cloth. If you are nervous about using this technique for the first time, practice this method on a small section of wall before you paint the entire bathroom.

Add Dimension

• Put a small amount of each shade of your base color onto a paper plate. Lightly dab a dry sponge into all three colors. Wipe off any excess paint on another paper plate. Blot the sponge on your wall in random patterns to add dimension to the color streaks you have already created. Blend the paint with your dry brush as needed. Blot the painted areas with a dry sponge to remove color if necessary. Remember, this doesn't need to look perfect, so use your imagination. You can find pictures of real marble for inspiration if you'd like.

Detailing

• Dip the thin artist's brush into white paint and draw veins in the marble. The veins should be random, so draw thin lines anywhere you want on the wall. Dip the brush in a small amount of any shade of your base color, and trace the white veins with it. Blend as necessary with the dry brush. If you don't like this effect or if you make a mistake, simply add more base color with the wide brush and blend it all together with the dry brush again. For a softer effect, lightly brush the white veins with a feather.

Finishing

• Take a final look at your wall to see if there are any areas that need touch-ups. Fill in any gaps with additional paint, making sure the colors are blended together. Once you have the desired effect, allow the wall to dry for at least 24 hours. Apply a translucent glaze over the entire wall to give it a nice sheen. To make pale colors look more realistic, mix four parts glaze with one part white paint and apply over the entire wall. Allow this to dry overnight, then apply a coat of clear varnish to the entire wall.