How to Do Color Washing

Remove all nails and fill small cracks with spackle, using a putty knife. Pour primer into a paint tray. Cut in corners and edges using a 3-inch brush, then apply primer to the main body of the wall with a nap roller.

Attach blue painter's tape to all baseboards, trim, window and door frames and other edges not being painted. Remove electrical cover plates. Move furniture to the center of the room and cover with a drop cloth. Cover the floor with a drop cloth.

Pour an eggshell-finish base color into a paint tray. Off-white is a suitable base color for this project. Cut in the corners and edges with a 3-inch brush and apply the base color to the remainder of the wall with a nap roller. Paint four-foot square sections at a time, using up and down and across movements to avoid visible roller marks. Leave it to dry according to the directions on the can.

Add 2 cups of glaze coat or Floetrol to 1/2 cup water in a large bucket. Add 1/3 tube acrylic artist's paint if you only want a subtle color wash. Add 1/3 cup water based varnish to prevent color bleeding. Mix together.

Test your glaze mixture on a small patch of your wall. Use a dry brush to soften the effect. Add more acrylic artist's paint if you want a stronger color.

Transfer some of your glaze to another bucket. Add water slowly until you achieve a creamy consistency. Test the creamy glaze on a small patch of your wall to see how easily it goes on and what the color effect is.

Fill another bucket 2/3 full with water. Immerse a round household sponge in the water. Start at the top of the wall and dampen the surface, working methodically over one section at a time.

Dip a second sponge in the glaze and rub it over the saturated surface. Spread the glaze evenly, exerting different levels of pressure for a natural effect. Work in one section of the wall at a time. Cover the entire wall, section by section. Do not glaze over the edges of previous sections; apply glaze within 1 inch and use a dry brush to soften the joins.

Apply glaze to within 1 inch of the wall's corners and edges. Use a dry brush to work the glaze into the corners and edges, smoothing and blending lightly.

Leave your color-washed wall to dry for at least 24 hours. Apply a water-based varnish, such as a latex varnish, to protect the surface and leave it to dry.