Home Garden

How to Add Depth to Burnt Orange Walls

When you choose a bold color for your wall like burnt orange, you don’t want it to let your decor fall flat. Variation in color and texture add a richness and complexity to your walls. Use a faux paint color wash technique to get the effect. Whether you put it on all four walls or just one accent wall, a faux paint technique will bring a whole new sense of depth to your burnt orange room.

Things You'll Need

  • Satin latex paint, 2 shades lighter
  • Satin latex paint, 2 shades darker
  • Acrylic latex glaze
  • 2 mixing containers for paint
  • Paint stirrers
  • 2 paint roller pans
  • 5 gallon bucket
  • Rags
  • Large sponge
  • Paint roller
  • 3-inch paintbrush
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Select two more colors of paint in the same color family as your burnt orange. One should be two or three shades lighter, while the other should be two or three shades darker.

    • 2

      Mix four parts glaze with one part paint in the lighter shade. Blend them well and pour them into one paint roller pan. Mix four parts glaze with the darker shade paint. Blend them and pour it into a second paint pan.

    • 3

      Fill a bucket halfway with water and keep it near you. Dip several rags in the water and wring them out thoroughly so they're slightly damp but not dripping. Roll up the rags in about 6-inch long rolls and set them aside. Keep some dry rags near you as well. Dip a large sponge into the water, wring well and set it down on the slope of the second paint pan.

    • 4

      Roll the lighter tinted glaze on the wall, working in a section measuring about 3 feet by 3 feet. Immediately lay a wet, rolled rag on the wall and roll it over the glaze to remove most it. Reposition the rag and repeat the rolling motion in a different, random direction. Change rags as soon as one becomes too saturated to lift up anymore glaze and throw the old one in the bucket of water. Continue rolling rags in random directions along the wall to remove most of the lighter glaze.

    • 5

      Dip the sponge into the darker tinted glaze and pat it on the sloped part of the paint pan to remove excess glaze. Pat the darker glaze sporadically over the wall, right over the remaining lighter glaze. Don't fully cover the wall; apply it so it is mottled.

    • 6

      Grab a dry rag and a 3-inch paintbrush. Dip the brush in the bucket, shake off excess moisture and wipe it on a dry rag. Brush it in quick, short, back-and-forth strokes over the glazes to blend them. Step back every now and then to see if you like the look. Continue brushing and blending with the brush until you're satisfied.

    • 7

      Rinse the brush and wipe it on a dry rag. Rinse, wring out and reroll the rags. Repeat the process on the next 1-yard square section of the wall down, making sure to blend the edges of the two adjoining sections well with the brush so no line of separation is visible. Continue on the entire wall, moving down or across to each next section in turn, until it is done.