25 Basics of Painting Murals

Murals are one of the most popular design elements for children's rooms and nurseries. Homeowners Marco and Elena Ciotti hired a professional muralist to fill the walls of their kids' rooms with inspiring, colorful scenery.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based muralist Michelle Morse completed two bedrooms for the Ciotti family in just four days for a little less than $1,000 per room. Daughter Bianca's room features sweeping green vistas, and sons Luca and Vincenzo's walls are covered in a nautical, New England-style landscape.

To add a 3-D, layered element to Bianca's room, an antique desk, passed down from her paternal grandmother, was placed directly in front of a painted tree. When incorporating tall elements, such as trees and buildings, stick with proportion and scale that work well with furniture while providing a prime vantage point for kids. If you paint them too small, they can get lost behind furniture and lose their visual impact.

To add depth to painted objects such as trees, bushes and mountains, double-load the brush. To paint sweeping vistas, load green and cream together on the same brush so the green takes on different hues. Brushing on two colors at the same time creates a blended, gradient effect.