Polka Dots are HOT right now. I just finished two rooms with polka dots. They are surprisingly simple to do…unless you are making them line up and then the math is actually a lot harder than you’d imagine. If you’re a beginner or lousy at math, I recommend using a few overlapping and widespread circles interspersed on the wall. You can even use mirrored circles from Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond for depth.
Also, smooth walls make for crisp lines. If you have a heavy orange peel, you might want to reconsider a design that requires smooth lines.
The last room I did was from Target bedding in hot pink, fuchsia, teal, aqua, lime and magenta. I recommend painting no more than two walls with polka dots. Remember, the child will still have posters, shelves and toys to be displayed and these work much better against a solid color background. We chose the lighter aqua because the two walls of dots shrink the room, so you want the other walls to look as big and expansive as possible. We color matched the dots in the bedding with a fan-deck .The other two walls were painted in one of the dot colors to tie the walls together.
Decide how many colors will be in your repeat of the pattern. Using small painted samples or pieces of the fan-deck, arrange the colors how you’d like them to be repeated to ensure you won’t have two colors right against each other that create a funky pattern. Four light colors might be seen as a square for example. You don’t want to finish a wall only to realize you have created an unintentional pattern or shape.
We chose a circle of about 14 inches in diameter. Anything smaller will take a lot longer than you’d imagine. Two walls will generally be about 50-60 polka dots in an average kid's room. I have several cake pans and serving dishes of varying sizes, so I can use a solid object to trace around. This is SO much easier than using a compass. Trace your first circle on heavy paper or cardboard and cut out a template. Fold this in half and in half again to find the true center and then cut a minute hole at the intersect to use as your center guide.
Place your first circle where you’d like it in the corner. Do you want it to overlap on the corner? If you expect both walls to have no overlap, you have quite a bit of math in front of you. You’ll need to divide the wall into imaginary squares that house the circle, draw lines that dissect the square from corner to corner and then use these points as your center of your circle. Don't get angry if your walls aare perfectly straight or level. In California Earthquake Country, they rarely are!
I tend to not to worry about overlapping of circles onto opposite walls. Trace your circle and make a small point in the center of the circle to use as your level guide. Now measure down from the ceiling and away from the wall. Write these numbers in the circle where you’ll see them but they’ll later be painted over. Using the pinpoint as a level point, draw a line straight down, measure the distance between the circles and wall and draw a full vertical row of circles. Draw the next adjacent circle measuring down from the ceiling and away from the first circle in exactly the same measurements as the first circle is away from the ceiling and wall. Draw the center pinpoint; and then use a level to ensure they are level to one another, as ceilings and floors are often not level. From here on out, use these pinpoints to draw level lines. Where two level lines intersect, you have the center of a circle. Measure the space between circles from time to time to ensure your on track. After you have the first two rows of circles, you’ll find you breeze through drawing and checking your circles for accuracy.
I strongly urge you not to cover moulding, baseboards or fixtures. Most of the time, It just looks wrong. These architectural elements provide borders and really make your polka dots pop.
Use your color chart and write the name of each color in the circles. Ensure you have no accidents. Paint the circles one color at a time until the wall is full. Use quick sweeping strokes and a larger brush. People tend to lean toward smaller brushes because they feel they are more accurate; but they also allow for a lot of wobble. You will have a much cleaner line with a flat, two inch brush. Most paints will take two to three coats to cover. Dots, my friend, do not go quickly. It’s going to take a while; but you’ll love the pop!
Also, smooth walls make for crisp lines. If you have a heavy orange peel, you might want to reconsider a design that requires smooth lines.
The last room I did was from Target bedding in hot pink, fuchsia, teal, aqua, lime and magenta. I recommend painting no more than two walls with polka dots. Remember, the child will still have posters, shelves and toys to be displayed and these work much better against a solid color background. We chose the lighter aqua because the two walls of dots shrink the room, so you want the other walls to look as big and expansive as possible. We color matched the dots in the bedding with a fan-deck .The other two walls were painted in one of the dot colors to tie the walls together.
Decide how many colors will be in your repeat of the pattern. Using small painted samples or pieces of the fan-deck, arrange the colors how you’d like them to be repeated to ensure you won’t have two colors right against each other that create a funky pattern. Four light colors might be seen as a square for example. You don’t want to finish a wall only to realize you have created an unintentional pattern or shape.
We chose a circle of about 14 inches in diameter. Anything smaller will take a lot longer than you’d imagine. Two walls will generally be about 50-60 polka dots in an average kid's room. I have several cake pans and serving dishes of varying sizes, so I can use a solid object to trace around. This is SO much easier than using a compass. Trace your first circle on heavy paper or cardboard and cut out a template. Fold this in half and in half again to find the true center and then cut a minute hole at the intersect to use as your center guide.
Place your first circle where you’d like it in the corner. Do you want it to overlap on the corner? If you expect both walls to have no overlap, you have quite a bit of math in front of you. You’ll need to divide the wall into imaginary squares that house the circle, draw lines that dissect the square from corner to corner and then use these points as your center of your circle. Don't get angry if your walls aare perfectly straight or level. In California Earthquake Country, they rarely are!
I tend to not to worry about overlapping of circles onto opposite walls. Trace your circle and make a small point in the center of the circle to use as your level guide. Now measure down from the ceiling and away from the wall. Write these numbers in the circle where you’ll see them but they’ll later be painted over. Using the pinpoint as a level point, draw a line straight down, measure the distance between the circles and wall and draw a full vertical row of circles. Draw the next adjacent circle measuring down from the ceiling and away from the first circle in exactly the same measurements as the first circle is away from the ceiling and wall. Draw the center pinpoint; and then use a level to ensure they are level to one another, as ceilings and floors are often not level. From here on out, use these pinpoints to draw level lines. Where two level lines intersect, you have the center of a circle. Measure the space between circles from time to time to ensure your on track. After you have the first two rows of circles, you’ll find you breeze through drawing and checking your circles for accuracy.
I strongly urge you not to cover moulding, baseboards or fixtures. Most of the time, It just looks wrong. These architectural elements provide borders and really make your polka dots pop.
Use your color chart and write the name of each color in the circles. Ensure you have no accidents. Paint the circles one color at a time until the wall is full. Use quick sweeping strokes and a larger brush. People tend to lean toward smaller brushes because they feel they are more accurate; but they also allow for a lot of wobble. You will have a much cleaner line with a flat, two inch brush. Most paints will take two to three coats to cover. Dots, my friend, do not go quickly. It’s going to take a while; but you’ll love the pop!
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