A Types

Whether you choose your own initial, create a family monogram or come up with something more cryptic, this large-scale art project is as easy as A, B… or Z!

Make a graphic statement by painting an oversized letter or two directly onto the wall. This simple, striking effect will personalise any space and would look fabulous in a reading nook, home office, kid’s bedroom or playroom – all while injecting some fun. Using Resene paint, we went large with our capital ‘A’ – have a play with scale and font on paper first to find your favourite look.

Project photo

Make a graphic statement!

You will need:

Measuring tape, pencil and eraser
Ruler, level and set square
Painter’s masking tape
Scissors
Small paint roller and tray
1 litre Resene paint in colour of your choice (we used Resene Atomic)

Props: Walls painted in Resene Quarter Titania. ‘A’ painted in Resene ‘Atomic’. Altan chair, seat squab and cover, soft toys, storage bag and cushion on chair, all from Citta. Elm stool from Indie Home Collective. Elias rug, Carles floor cushion, Bransgrove cushion in winter moss, Issa throw (in bag) and Regina tassel throw (on floor), all from Freedom. Scandia ‘Copenhagen’ vinyl plank flooring from Carpet Court.

Instructions

Decide how wide and tall your letter (or letters) will be. Drawing it to scale on graph paper is a good idea as it will give you the measurements and enable you to visualise it on the wall.
Now start to pencil your letter onto the wall. If your letter is symmetrical, pencil a line of symmetry onto the wall (which divides the letter symmetrically) to help with measurements and angles. Use a level for the horizontal lines.
Carefully stick lengths of masking tape all along the outline of your letter, pressing down firmly at the edges to ensure paint can’t ‘bleed’ under the tape.
Trim tape with scissors to neaten joins, corners and angles.
Using a small paint roller, paint your chosen Resene paint colour onto the masked-off areas to create your letter. Leave to dry then apply a second coat. When it is completely dry, gently remove the tape.
Take an eraser and carefully rub out any pencil lines.

Top tips:

When choosing a letter style for your monogram, the simpler it is, the easier it will be to draw on the wall – swirly fonts and curlicues will be hard to draw and almost impossible to mask off (better to paint these freehand).
If you have access to a projector, project your monogram onto the wall and trace around it instead of drawing it by eye. For extra bling, use Resene FX Metallic paint in copper, gold, silver or pewter for a luxe look. Use any leftover paint to decorate old frames and furniture to complete the room.