We are pretty excited about getting to the “finishing touches” phase of some of our studio rooms. We are so close to finishing our little downstairs bathroom, but we wanted to add a bit of visual texture to the walls. It can be so easy to overlook such a small (and comparatively boring) space in a house, but we wanted to add a special handmade touch to the room to make it as fun as the rest of the rooms. It took a bit of thinking to decide what sort of pattern to actually put on the wall, but we finally decided that star constellations would be just the ticket.
First, I made a few small star stamps out of craft foam and scraps of cardboard (I just glued them together with a simple all purpose glue and let it dry). I suggest using two layers of cardboard as the backing of stamps for extra strength. I also like to make several of the same stamp when creating a hand stamped piece. Especially when the stamps are so small, the image starts to lose its shape the more you use it, so I switch to a new stamp every so often to get the cleanest stamp possible.
Once I had my stamps completed, I printed out a chart with several constellation choices so I could keep a reference nearby as I painted my shapes. Since I’ve had quite a bit of practice painting over the years, I was able to freehand the lines, but you can also use your brush and a clear ruler to make your lines (the same way you would with a pencil) if you aren’t as confident in your line-making ability. If you use the ruler, just make sure to wipe the paint off the ruler after each line is painted. The color we chose was Olympic’s Silver Spoon, so the shade would be noticeable but still light enough to create a subtle pattern.
To make the process go as efficiently as possible, I worked in sections and painted the lines of each constellation first so the overall placement would be balanced and evenly spaced. Once the lines were painted, I went back and stamped all the stars by painting a little bit of paint directly onto the stamp, placing the stamp in the appropriate spot, and applying even pressure on all sides. I used a smaller and a bigger star stamp to create some variety.
I think our galaxy print was just what our little bathroom needed to feel as special as our other rooms. The print turned out whimsical and fun, but not too overpowering for the small space. Some of the constellations are totally real, but a lot are made up, so I guess we should think twice before inviting any picky astronomy experts over to the house…xo. Laura
Credits // Author: Laura Gummerman, Photography by: Laura Gummerman & Sarah Rhodes. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess Actions.
I love this! I saw your bathroom on Curbly ( http://www.curbly.com/users/brittni-mehlhoff/posts/16089-before-and-after-a-tiny-bathroom-gets-a-revamp#!LayqG ) and I just had to see where you found the wallpaper. It is awesome that you created it! way better than wallpaper.
Hi Jennifer! It’s Olympic’s Silver Spoon. -Jacki
LOVE it! What colour was that paint?
OMG this is amazing!!! So creative.
This is so much nicer than I expected when reading the title! So light and lovely! Beautiful
Adorable! I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! Can do pretty much anything with this idea!
This is one of my favorite painting projects I’ve seen on your blog!! #Pinning 😉
I love how light and simple, but impacting this is! Great idea 🙂
this is absolutely beautiful! i love it!
I absolutely adore how elegant, fun, and subtle this is! I also love the tile on the lower part of them room – will you share the details on that lovely stuff?
LOVE that!
Oh wow! I love this idea! I would love to do this on a ceiling in glow in the dark paint! Or even just on normal walls.
Looks great!
www.fashion-oh.blogspot.com
This could be perfect for my room’s ceiling! <3
xo Trisha
http://www.trishasales.net
This is wonderful! Good job Laura! I love love love it!
Lulu xx
http://luluslittlewonderland.blogspot.com
I thought the exact same thing! My husband and I are expecting our first in October and the nursery is a pretty small room and I’ve basically decided that we’re going to do this in there. Maybe instead of the tile at the bottom (it will be a nursery afterall and not a bathroom), I would paint it like a dark teal or something. I can’t wait to try it on my own!
Probably about 3 hours total, it’s a small space 🙂
Laura
wow great job and idea, that is super cool and looks awesome!
This looks so cute! I love it! 🙂
This is exactly what my daughter wants in her room!
Very cool!