It’s easy to paint to a sharp 90 degree edge, but what do you do if you have rounded corners?
The bullnose style is more common in contemporary building than ever before. It makes for a nice, smooth transition from one room to the next and it eliminates the sharp corners for kids to hit their heads on. So how do you paint two different colored walls that meet at a bullnosed corner? Where do you draw the line? For that matter, how do you draw the line?
Side story:
Once upon a time, when my three boys were all under the age of 5, I broke a rule of mothering and I…. used the restroom. Gasp! We were at our house. What could possibly go wrong in a minute? Oh, I was so young and naive back then.
I returned from the bathroom to what can only be described as a crime scene. Complete with a bloody hand print streaked along the wall. The three boys were quietly playing in the family room, so what on earth happened? Turns out, my opportunistic son seized the day and climbed the kitchen cabinets onto the counter to get a treat. He proceeded to fall backwards when climbing down and hit his head on the sharp corner of the wall. Realizing that he was breaking a rule, he opted to keep quiet. He reached up to the back of his head where it was hurting. When he brought his hand down, it was covered in blood. What better way to remove evidence from your hand than to wipe it on the closest surface? Oh, a wall. Yes, that’s perfect.
The thought process of a three year old does not make for a criminal mastermind. He never said anything to me but the clotted blood in his blonde hair kind of gave him away. Had the corner of the wall been bullnosed, this scenario could have turned out differently. Oh, in case you were wondering, he was successful in obtaining treats (fruit snacks) for himself and his brothers- most likely to buy their silence.
Back to painting rounded corners:
If you have attempted to paint two different walls in two very different colors, you know the rounded corner conflict is real. Where do you stop one color and start another? If you figure out where you want the colors to meet, how do you make a straight line and not a messy, irregular one? I can not think of one person who wants to spend the time and energy painting their house to have messy corners when it is all said and done. We want professional results and we want them now!
Fortunately, I have just the right painting tips for you today. This messy bullnosed corner problem ends here and now. Fruit snacks for everyone!
Supply List
- masking tape
- paint brush
- paint for the two walls that are meeting up
- artists brush, for touch ups
- paint key
- rubber mallet
- stir sticks
Instructions:
Step 1:
Even before any taping off begins, make sure one wall is painted. Have that paint extend farther around the bullnosed corner than expected. It is easier to make a straight line over a painted corner than it is to try to line up two separate colors.
Step 2:
Using natural light, distinguish where the shadows are cast. This is one way to establish your line.
Another way to delineate where the colors should meet is by the baseboard. Use the joint of the baseboard to determine where the color should start and stop.
Step 3:
Apply masking tape along the determined line. The tape should cover the previously painted wall and leave the wall to be painted uncovered. Rub your finger along the tape edge to ensure the best adhesion possible. There will be a few gaps made from the highs and lows of the texture on the wall. These gaps are where paint usually bleeds under the tape and ruins a nice crisp edge. The next couple of steps will minimize or even eliminate the messy paint line.
This technique will work well on any edge where you want a crisp line. Use this taping off technique for painting stripes on walls, lettering for murals, etc.
Step 4:
The professional painter I hired to paint the 18-20 foot walls and the ceilings at our house used white silicone caulk to seal the masking tape. The problem with his technique was that the wall colors were not white so I had little specks of white every so often along the seam. I had to use an artist’s brush to touch it up. He was a sweet guy who had tall ladders to paint the high ceilings -I only had an 8 foot ladder at that point- but I don’t think I’ll hire him again to paint. What can I say? I’m not an easy client.
Paint towards the masking tape edge and previously painted wall with the same color as the base coat. Paint will seep under the tape in those gaps made by the texture and will help seal the tape and the wall. The paint color matches the base coat and any bleeding under the masking tape will blend in.
Step 5:
Once the paint is dry and your brush has been thoroughly cleaned, use the second paint color along the taped edge. Brush away from the tape’s edge to get nice paint coverage without paint pooling along the tape. It’s finally time to paint the unfinished wall.
Step 6:
Remove the tape. Pull evenly and slowly to remove the masking tape. Sometimes there are a few spots where paint has seeped under the tape, but they are usually minimal and can be easily touched up. I am super picky about clean and straight lines so I go back and touch up until the line is perfect.
Well, there you have it. Nice clean, straight lines for your walls with rounded, or bullnosed, corners. The colors painted on the two walls made it difficult to see the line clearly in the photograph. Here is a picture of a previously painted corner with greater color contrast.
Do straight painted lines on the corners of your walls really make a house a home? Yes, yes they do. The little details do make a difference. Straight lines give painted walls the appearance of professionalism. When my house feels presentable I am way more likely to willingly invite people over. Not that I do, but I could. It’s usually just friends of my boys that come over. With a house full of active boys, I take any feeling of order amid the chaos that I can get!
Enjoy the success from using these tips the next time you paint your home. Now on to the next project!💙
More Painting DIY and Tips
What are the Different Types of Paint?
6 Paint Sheens and When to Use Them
List of Everything You Need to Paint a Room
How to Clean Your Paint Brush so it Lasts
Best Way to use Painter’s Tape (Plus Hacks)
How Can I Fix My Peeling Chairs?
Kitchen Island Update for Under $20
How to Successfully Use a Stencil
5 Minutes to a New Lamp with Spray Paint
I need to paint the ceiling in my sunroom. My (formerly) leaky roof left water stains! It does not have the usual textured plaster/drywall surface, but appears to be sheets of plywood with fake “beams” to cover the seams. Any suggestions -other than just burning the whole place down and starting over – would be appreciated!
Well, I am glad that the leak is fixed. Before painting anything, be sure to seal it with a primer. The primer will block the stain from re-appearing in the newly painted surface. If you want to send me a picture of the ceiling in your sun room, that would probably be the best way to have be evaluate what we are working with and give you feedback. You can email pictures to lisa@tingedblue.com Thank you!