How to Get a 2-Toned Metallic Paint Effect

Move all the room's furniture to the center of the room, and cover it with drop cloths. Place drop cloths on the floor, and tape them in place with painter's tape. Remove curtains, curtain rods, light switch covers and plug covers. Use painter's tape to mask any areas that you don't want to paint, such as baseboards, window trim, light switches and plugs.

Apply primer to the walls. Use a standard roller on large areas and a brush at the corners and top and bottom edges. Let dry completely.

Apply one of your two metallic paint colors as your base coat. Apply it over the entire wall with the high-nap roller. Roll the paint onto the wall with up and down diagonal strokes, working from left to right, overlapping them as you go. Metallic paint is highly susceptible to showing brush and roller marks, and the combination of the high-nap roller and diagonal overlapping strokes helps minimize this tendency. Paint the edges and corners with a brush. Let dry completely.

Pour a small amount of your second metallic paint color into a clean roller pan. Dampen your sponge slightly, then carefully dip one side of it into the paint. Gently press it onto the wall, and lift it back up without sliding it or wiping it along the wall. This will leave a sheer, textured imprint of the sponge on the wall. Press onto the wall a few more times before dipping back into the paint, overlapping the imprints and turning the sponge in different directions. This creates a mottled, uneven color and texture on your walls. If the paint is too thick and not sheer enough for your liking, you may dilute it with a small amount of water. Do not sponge so heavily that your base coat is no longer visible. Let dry.

Step back from the walls, and scan them for any sponged areas that are bare and need touching up. Touch up with the sponge technique lightly, without adding too much paint to the sponge.