17 Fun Paint Projects to Brighten Your Space

“A single piece of art on the big wall in my son’s playroom wasn’t cutting it — now it’s a very fun space to walk into,” says Los Angeles blogger Molly Madfis (@almostmakesperfect). She freehanded the larger-than-life sun and created her own stencil to keep the bursts consistent. DIY FYI: “Have your original wall color on hand to touch up any mistakes,” says Molly. It will take the pressure off. (Paint: Vanilla Chai by Clark + Kensington)

1. Download “h” and “i” templates at hgtv.com/diy-doormat, print on cardstock and cut out.

2. Place a strip of duct tape to the left of the doormat's center. Position the “i” cutout and secure with a strong adhesive spray, like Super 77 by 3M. Do the same with the “h” stencil, then tape off the remaining coir.

3. Spray-paint. Remove the stencils and tape while the paint is still wet. Let dry.

(Paint: Greenery by Montana Gold)

No matter how dowdy one is, it’ll look amazing in color. Remove the cushion, dust the frame with a microfiber cloth, spray on several coats of paint plus primer, and let it fully dry. While you’re at it, take the cushion and your choice of fabric (this one is from Zazzle) to an upholsterer. (Paint: Gloss Deep Blue by Rust-Oleum)

When people see this bathroom for the first time, they can’t believe it isn’t tile. “They actually touch the wall to be sure!” says blogger Holly Taylor (@calling_allcreators), who lives in Omaha, Nebraska. She got the hex tile effect by painting the bottom of the wall dark gray and the top white, then patterning it with the Metro Hex Tile stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils. DIY FYI: “Use a level when placing the first stencil, then every so often to make sure you are keeping things straight,” says Holly. “With patience and persistence, anyone can do this!” (Paints: Alabaster and Peppercorn, both by Sherwin-Williams)

A burst of color in a white cabinet looks pretty darn exciting. Remove the shelves, door glass and knobs; sand and prime the inside; and let dry. Paint the inside of the cabinet and the shelves teal, then put everything in place once fully dry. (Albuquerque Teal by Benjamin Moore)

1. Tape off each chair to cover the top section.

2. Paint each a different color. Remove the tape while the paint is still wet and let dry.

3. Apply furniture polish (such as Old English) to revive the exposed wood parts, following the package instructions.

(Paint: Green Mist and Frosty Berry, both by Valspar)

Turning the vintage clawfoot tub that came with their Jersey City, New Jersey, home into a museum-worthy piece was a great way for Joey Meyers and Mark Baehser (@ball_and_claw_vintage) to style their bathroom without renovating the whole thing. Their pal Liz Kamarul, a New Orleans, Louisiana, artist, got the honor, using leftover flat paint from other projects. DIY FYI: “Since the tub is rarely used and wear wasn’t a concern, we didn’t put anything over the paint,” says Joey. “Someone else doing this project may want to add a coat of sealer to protect from watermarks and scuffing.”

1. Wipe metal candlesticks clean, then scour lightly with steel wool (roughing them up helps paint stick).

2. Apply a coat of primer made for metal and let dry.

3. Stand a candlestick upright for the first coat of spray paint, then flip over for the second coat.

(Paint: Bazooka Joe, Pink Pink, Black Purple, Malachite Dark, Deep Purple, all by Montana Gold)

Designer Jessica Rae Sommer (@jessicaraesommer) and her fiancé spread this project out over two weekends. During the first one, they cleaned the patio of their place in Los Angeles, smoothed on white paint made for concrete with an extendable roller, and let it dry. The next weekend: stencil-a-thon! They used the Diamant Tile stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils, filling it in with bristled stencil brushes and black paint also made for concrete. DIY FYI: “We bought four of the same stencil so we could tackle bigger sections at a time,” says Jessica. (Paint: White and Jet Black, both by Behr)

A mini statue, a defunct camera, a potted faux cactus—the more random the object, the more delightful it will be blinged out. Just wipe it down with a damp cloth, then wipe dry before spray-painting. (Paint: Gold by Rust-Oleum)

What’s easier than painting a series of stripes on a wall and has even more impact? One wide stripe that continues onto the ceiling (this one is a little over 6 -1/2 feet wide). “My client is a car lover, and we saw it as an homage to a racing stripe,” says Atlanta, Georgia, designer Gina Sims. “We did the headboard in the same color so it looks intentional and continuous.” DIY FIY: A laser level is your ceiling BFF: “Use it to know just where to place your tape,” says Gina. Then grab a long-handled roller. (Paint: Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore and Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams)

Way to make people feel welcome coming and going! This is the fourth time fiber artist Claire Roberts (@nashty_threads) painted the front door in her home in Nashville, Tennessee. “My husband and I may not have money right now for big, expensive projects,” she says, “but this little one brings us so much joy.” DIY FYI: Claire went section by section, waiting for each to fully dry before putting delicate-surface painter’s tape on the edge of the part she’d already painted, then starting the next section. (Paint, from top: Solarium, Rose Pottery, Spiced Potpourri, Flaming Torch, all by Behr)

1. Find a silhouette online — your favorite dog breed, or, really, whatever shape appeals. Enlarge and print on 11-inch-by-17-inch paper.

2. Cut out and tape it to Con-Tact paper. Then cut that out and adhere the sticky paper silhouette to a white pegboard.

3. Spray-paint the entire area around the cutout. Use tweezers to remove the cutout while the paint is still wet and let dry.

(Paint: Banana by Montana Gold)

To make plain ol’ storage absolutely gorgeous, blogger Courtney Hupp (@homemadehuppy) swirled shapes around the Pottery Barn shelves in her Shawnee, Kansas, entry. “The pinks and green complement the shelves’ honey tone,” she says. DIY FYI: Courtney used a homemade compass — a pushpin, a pencil and string — to outline the curves before she painted. (Paint: Terra Cotta Urn, Pink Quartz, Vine Leaf, all by Behr)

Impressive enough that everyone will ask where you bought them — but really simple to make. Tape off sections on square planters in any geometric pattern using delicate-surface painter’s tape. Fill in with crafts paint, and remove the tape while the paint is still wet. Once dry, apply thin foil tape along the edges of the painted areas. (Paint: Medium Blue and Magenta, both by Folk Art)

“When you have beautiful casework, painting it a strong color that contrasts with the wall draws your eye to the details,” says Chicago designer SuzAnn Kletzien. Fire engine red and sky blue are particularly pleasing. DIY FYI: A gloss or semigloss finish is more durable and easier to clean, which is key on window and door frames because they tend to get touched a lot. (Paint Million Dollar Red and Heaven on Earth, both by Benjamin Moore)