How to Color Wash Walls

Move all furniture away from the walls to give a minimum 4-foot workspace. Place painters tape on all adjoining surfaces, such as baseboards, window sills and ceiling lines to protect surfaces. Ensure the tape is solidly attached to the areas by rubbing with a plastic putty knife. Unscrew all outlet and light switch covers and remove. Fill in all nail holes with joint compound and lightly sand until the patched area is undetectable. Cover patched areas with a small amount of paint primer.

Put drop cloths or plastic painter's drops on the floor for added protection before you begin painting. Roll on the base coat latex paint in eggshell or satin sheen using vertical strokes. Any areas you cannot reach, use a paint brush to apply paint to these areas. Let the wall dry for about four to six hours.

Stir together one part glaze and three parts latex paint. Start at the top corner of the wall and roll on glaze mixture in an uneven section with jagged edges. Do not apply the glaze in solid square shapes. Roll on no more than a 4-by-4 foot area. Manipulate the glaze with a damp sea sponge. Pounce or dab the sponge into the wet glaze to manipulate the product until the technique matches the desired look.

Continue the same technique moving down the wall. Blend sections together using the sea sponge. Once you reach the bottom of the wall, start back at the ceiling line where the last section has ended. It is important to work quickly when color washing. The sections cannot dry, or else they cannot be blended together.

Allow color wash to dry. Glaze does not dry as quickly as latex paint and some brands even take more than 24 hours to dry. Do not allow anyone access near the project area until the glaze has dried. Remove all painter's tape and reposition furniture. Add outlets and light switch covers back into place.