How to Paint a Graphic, Modern Kids' Room Ceiling Design

Children's rooms are great places to experiment with both pattern and color. While traditional grown-up spaces may not be the best choice for covering walls with bold hues or incorporating strong graphic elements, kids' spaces offer a blank canvas to do pretty much anything. And of all places within a kid's room, the ceiling often offers the largest, most unexpected surface on which to paint.

Not just any ceiling will work. Flat, smooth ceilings made of drywall or plaster are the best candidates. In fact, it is best for the ceiling to lack in any ornamentation or architectural interest, since a painted ceiling graphic can provide the architectural detail that the space otherwise lacks.

In order to create a graphic painted wall treatment, the design must be easily executed with painter's tape and latex paint. For this reason, stick with geometric patterns that have straight lines and that are scaled proportionately to keep the design from becoming too busy. One of the easiest designs to paint is a radiating rectangle, something often associated with 1970s supergraphics. Follow these step-by-step instructions to add fun, energetic shape and color to your own kids' room.

Materials Needed:

• three to five different paint colors
• paintbrush
• detail brush
• roller
• roller sleeve
• tape measure
• chalk line

• painter's tape
• pencil
• paint pan
• pan liner
• notepad
• ladder
• drop cloth

Measure Ceiling

Use a tape measure to determine the length and width of ceiling, then mark dimensions down in notepad with pencil.

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Sketch Design

With the ceiling dimensions in mind, create a free-hand sketch of the desired design onto paper. This will serve as a reference for painting the ceiling.

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Assign Paint Colors To Sketch

Assign a color to each portion of the design by marking the paper sketch with a small dot of paint (Image 1). Cover floor surface with drop cloths.

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