How to Paint an Odd Shaped Room

Keep an eye out for features you want to highlight. Just because the room is odd shape doesn’t mean you have to cover it up. Look for unusual angles, exposed brick, cozy reading nooks, unique windows and interesting architecture. Use paint to turn these areas into a focal point in the room.

Choose your colors wisely. Unusually shaped rooms invite a wide variety of colors, so take a minute to determine what you want to accomplish. If you want to draw attention away from the shape of the room, paint the walls a neutral color and emphasize furniture instead. In other cases -- like in the dining room -- a funky shape can be an invitation to use bold color.

Use paint to define the room’s function. This is particularly important if you’re dealing with a large room that might have multiple purposes. An oddly shaped master bedroom, for example, could be separated into a sitting area, a study and a sleeping area. By using different paint colors on each section, you’ll help divide the room into multiple areas.

Connect disjointed areas with a common paint color. This is especially true in rooms with partial walls and multiple alcoves. Painting the walls and trim a single color can help smooth odd angles and give the room a more unified feel. If you’re up for trying something bolder, paint a contrasting border around the top of the entire room.

Cater your accent walls to the room’s shape. By drawing attention to the right walls, you can steer the eyes away from areas of the room you dislike. Accent walls can also serve to visually change the shape of a room. For example, painting the walls on the farthest side of a long, narrow room will help the shape of the room feel less dramatic.

Steer away from stripes or geometric patterns. The symmetry in these patterns draws attention to unusual slants in the walls. Opt for a faux finish if you want to add some texture.

Test your paint colors before you commit. Most paint stores sell paint in small containers that allow you to test the color in your home before you purchase a large amount. If you’re curious about a certain color, try it on one wall and see if you like it. If you don’t, it’s cheap and easy to fix your mistake.