Add a nursery feature wall
If you have limited space in your baby’s room, a feature wall is a great way to open up the area. It also adds a bit of fun and personality to the room.
When choosing your wall, consider your space as a whole to find the best focal point. Avoid choosing a wall with windows that give the room it’s natural light, as these two focal points may clash.
The lighting in your baby’s room is another important thing to consider. Some colours can change in different lighting conditions, which is why we recommend testing them first using a Dulux sample pot or A4 card.
Popular nursery colours
Ceiling & Cornice with Dulux® Ceiling White
Follow the preparation steps on the back of the can.
Begin by cleaning your ceiling. Remove cobwebs with a clean broom and wash the area with Selleys® Sugar Soap.
Tape around cornices, edges and any down lights.
Using Dulux UltraAir® Ceiling White and a 10-15mm nap synthetic roller, paint just like a vertical wall, begin by cutting-in where the roller won’t reach. Using a paint brush, paint around down lights and edges to create a border.
Once you’ve loaded your roller evenly, begin in one corner and move fluidly in a parallel motion. For best results, work in 1 metre sections painting across and then down. Roll as far into the previously brushed sections as possible.
While the paint is still damp, begin laying off the paint. This is a crucial step in achieving a smooth and consistent finish. To lay off: Using an unloaded roller, begin in the top left corner of your ceiling and gently pull towards you in a straight line with no pressure. A lightness of touch will prevent new roller marks from forming. Repeat this action and slightly overlap your last movement so your roller rubs away the line created by the previous stroke.
If your ceiling requires two coats, wait two hours for it to dry and then repeat steps 4-6.
Time to paint step-by-step
Paint selection
Choose a colour and product for your nursery walls or feature wall.
Preparation
Prep your walls, lay down a drop sheet and tape any edges. Always read the product label to confirm steps.
Cutting in
Begin by cutting in around the wall edges with a brush - these are the areas a roller cannot easily reach. Maintain a wet-edge by cutting in larger areas in sections as you go. This will help to avoid ‘picture framing’ where unblended cut in areas remain obvious after rolling.
Painting your walls
Load your roller and apply by rolling it in a ‘W’ motion on the wall. Cross over the same section and continue along the wall until it is evenly covered.
Reload and repeat
Reload your roller and repeat steps three and four until all walls are complete. Then allow the first coat to dry and repeat the total process again with a second coat.
Laying off
After you have covered a section of the wall, it’s time to lay off to get a smooth finish. This is arguably the most important step in rolling a wall and should be done when you’ve painted a section roughly 3-4 meters. Laying off your wall means giving it a smooth consistent finish and hiding those streaky brush strokes. Simply place your unloaded roller at the top left corner of your wall. Ensure the handle side of your roller is to the right. Then with almost zero pressure roll straight down your wall until you reach the bottom. Remove your roller, return to the top, and slightly overlap where you just rolled so that each panel rubs away the line from the previous lay-off.
Here's what you'll need to get started:
Colour & Paint
Tools & Accessories
High-quality synthetic brush (for cutting-in)
Roller extension pole
Paint pot – for cutting in
Roller tray
Drop sheets
Any other accessories you might need to achieve your desired design effect. (e.g. roller, large brush, sea sponge, muslin rag)
More projects & DIY Ideas
A kid’s bedroom can be one of the most fun places to paint in your home. They’re colourful spaces made to inspire creative young minds.
We’ve put together our top tips to transform your nursery into a kid’s bedroom.
Using colour can help bring any bedroom to life and create a world of imagination to inspire your kids. Here’s a popular project to encourage your kids’ sense of fun and creativity and have some fun along the way.
New and improved
Dulux Wash&Wear®
For a superior washable finish, check out the all new Wash&Wear® Low Sheen, with its stain resistance and mould & mildew resistant technology which makes it ideal for all interior walls including high traffic areas.
Explore over 1,000 colours from the popular Dulux Colours of New Zealand range.
Book now to have an online or in-home colour consultation with a qualified interior designer.
Available 7 days a week, start a chat with our team to discuss everything you need to gain colour confidence.
