"Seaside Retreat" Boy's Nursery

Soft oceanic blues and island-inspired aqua in a whimsical wave pattern create a delightful nursery that's both cheerful and serene.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1 — Prime the walls

Step 2 — Mark the walls

Using a measuring tape and pencil, mark a dot on your wall three feet from the floor, then work your way around the room making identical marks every three feet. Next, draw a line connecting all the dots around the room. (Don't worry if it's not perfectly straight.)

Step 3 — Paint the sea and the sky

Paint the area above the line with ocean breeze (2058-60) and the area below the line with cool blue (2058-40). Don't worry about minor overlapping around your line because the wave pattern will cover it.

Step 4 — Create your wave

There are two ways you can create your wave pattern:

• For a consistent wave like the one in the photo, we recommend tracing a pattern using our downloadable stencil. For best results, create your stencil on a large piece of acetate.  Using scissors or a straight-edge knife, cut out the wave pattern. Create several wave patterns and tape the stencils together.
• To create your own unique wave pattern, sketch it lightly on the wall in pencil. Get as creative as you like; just make sure the pattern is always covering the line between the sky and the sea.

Step 5 — Paint your wave

If you created a stencil, simply line up the stencil with the line between the sky and the sea and tape it to the wall. Fill in the stencil with waterfall (2050-50) using a 3" roller. Make sure you allow time for the paint to dry before moving the stencil, and remember to wipe the stencil off between segments to avoid streak marks.

To paint using the freestyle pattern, use a 3" roller to fill in the wave pattern with waterfall (2050-50). Use a smaller artists' brush for fine details around the edges. If you go over the line, just smooth out the pattern with a little more paint.

Step 6 — Use custom-painted accessories

Consider painting a dresser or side table with hibiscus (2027-50) and adding whimsical drawer pulls (like the blue fish on our dresser) to enhance the seaside theme.

Supplies:

Paint Colors:

Get more kids' bedroom design ideas, and visit Color Gallery to explore our thousands of beautiful colors.

Styling provided by Tyndall Arrasmith.

Visit our online store to purchase paint, paint samples, fan decks, and painting supplies. (FREE shipping for orders of $75 or more.)