Call me crazy, but not long after I had painted the dining room with a VERY vibrant apple green in Spring, I was looking for a change. It's probably because I had gotten so incredibly inspired by the gorgeous blue waters of Hollywood beach, I wanted to try to recreate its look at home. Another inspiration had come from seeing the sun washed colors of the buildings Key Largo. Before doing the large wall, I did a test spot and lived with it for a few days. I decided I liked it, so one afternoon, I pulled everything back, threw down the drop cloths, got out my paints, mixing bowls, sponges and a cookie sheet and went to town! It was a messy process... but I love the end result. Mixed together about 1 part paint to 3 parts water in a bowl. And used a sponge to literally "wash" the walls with. But just using the white over green wasn't ocean blue enough. To get the blue of the ocean, I did the same mix with last years turquoise. Although I mostly used white, I'd apply turquoise in some areas, and wash back over it with the white again to tone it down. I applied the wash in a circular motion, starting at the top (because yes - it drips) right corner, worked my way down, and up and over by sections. Doing a circular motion helped to blend the paints and the sections. One layer wasn't enough - it was still too green. After the first layer dried, I went back and repeated the process. Top left corner original green still peeking out before applying the white wash. Even though I used a sponge, this isn't the "sponge" faux painting of the 90's. That was more dabbing paint on to give a flat wall texture. Since all our walls already are textured, doing the wash enhanced it as a feature. After the second layer, it was starting to get more of the wash I was looking for. Adding in the turquoise really helped. I could have just painted it - but it would have been too opaque. I wanted to also sense the foam of the wave break on the shore... I really enjoy experimenting with these looks in our home. After this process, and the clean up, I also tried something different in the dining room... But thankfully, I did this "test" on the outside before tearing it apart. And it's a good thing, because I stood back, looked at it and said, "I don't like it." But hey, that's what experiments are for - to try things out. Something else I tried in the space was adding back in more green. I did this with two paisley print tablecloths from HomeGoods - I simply hung from clip rings (like I did last year with my post: How to Paint A Black Door + A No Sew Panels Project) And since I had also "tried" the dining table coming out from the wall, rather than parallel to it, I had some space to create a little window nook with the bench... But I wasn't feelin' the green, so I put back the printed white linen panels. They just felt more airy... And like a rubber band... I snapped and put the table back parallel to the wall. I prefer this look for everyday, but turning the table would work better to give more seating space for guests. So the experimenting wasn't a total loss. How often do you experiment with different looks or paint techniques in your home? Have you ever? It's a great way to refresh a space - and if you're trying a wash, you probably already have the paint and a sponge, so it could be a $0 makeover in an afternoon. And with the left-over white & turquoise washed paints, you can DIY beachy bottles... Why not try it this weekend?! LINKING POST TO: Chic On A Shoestring - Flaunt It Friday Just A Girl - Show & Share Day