1. With a roller, paint the entire wall with the color you want the squares to be. Use a standard roller for these coats. |
2. While the base paint dries, prepare a fresh roller cover to make the square design. Starting 1 inch from one end, wrap the cover with bands of tape. Place the first band loosely around the roller. Wrap the next piece tightly. Alternate loose and tight areas until you cover the roller. Then remove the loose tape. |
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3. With the level, mark a vertical guideline at one end of the wall. Load the taped roller with the second color of paint. With the 1-inch-wide brush, wipe excess paint off taped sections. |
4. Starting at the top of the wall, roll down along the guideline as far as you can without touching the floor with the roller. Repeat this process across the wall. For each new set of lines, maintain even spacing by painting one line that overlaps the previous one. |
5. Paint the horizontal lines as you did the vertical ones. The vertical stripes need not dry first. |
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5. Use a damp rag to clean up any smudged areas. Then extend the design into spaces too small for the roller to fit. Don't be obsessive about creating perfect squares, however; variation is part of the charm of this effect. When the paint is dry to the touch, draw a line near the floor and paint a faux baseboard. You can also paint faux trim around windows and doors and faux crown molding next to the ceiling. The faux molding covers up edge areas where the roller didn't reach. |
