Sponge Painting

The soft, mottled pattern produced by sponging a second layer of paint over a base coat adds a stylish broken color effect to the walls of a room and decorative interest to accessories.

Sponging is an easy, instant paint effect that gives a pleasing, mottled appearance to a surface. As the name implies, the technique involves using a sponge to apply one or more colors to a solid base color. The final look will depend on the number of coats of paint sponged on - the more there are, the denser the effect - and, most importantly, the colors used.

With two close shades of the one color, the effect is very subtle - from a distance the colors will merge yet not look as flat as an area painted in one color. If two, or even three, quite different colors are layered the effect is more dramatic.

Because it is such a simple, quick technique, sponging is ideal for covering large expanses of wall, but it also works well on smaller surfaces such as a blanket box, a wall panel or a cupboard door. A more practical advantage of the technique is that it helps disguise imperfections in wall surfaces.

Experiment with different sponge effects on scrap paper before you start work.

Emulsion is the best choice for sponging walls. It is low odor, fairly inexpensive and easy to use, and the base coat can be applied with a roller. In general, two or more sponged colors give a more pleasing effect than one. Using just one color can sometimes look spotty unless the sponged color is closely related to the base coat.

Always try out various colors on paper before starting work on your project. Hold the paper samples up to the wall to test the result.

The sponge you use also affects the final look. Natural sea sponges are best; they are expensive but they produce a wonderfully varied pattern which isn't possible to imitate using a synthetic sponge. However, synthetic sponges are cheaper and more readily available. If you use a synthetic sponge, tear it into an irregular shape and apply the pain with the inner surface.