Are you ready to learn the basic steps to sponge painting a room? There are so many different color combinations you can use to create a soft two or three tone look to a room.

You can step it up a notch and explode with bright primary colors for a child's room. Make a grand statement with bright and cheery colors that will create a tropical setting.

As a designer, I like to show people that they can take a couple of their favorite shades of certain colors, and turn a dull room into a new and exciting place to relax and enjoy.

I also like to experiment with colors and create unique looks that represent what I like in my own home.

We have a screened in porch at the back side our house. This is a place I love to go and relax and I call it my happy place.

I created a theme using a combination of the tropics and the beach. We have a fireplace in the family room which is next to the porch. The outside cement part of the fireplace is on the porch.

When I was decorating the porch the fireplace was an eye sore with the surrounding bright colors of windchimes and other accessories. I decided to get a little creative and paint the fireplace. I put a coat of white primer on the cement.

After the primer was dry, I put a coat of white latex paint. With this project, I used a large brush and a paint roller. It still created a dull feel with no spunk to the cement. I knew the look I wanted out on the porch, but didn't know what to do with this big fireplace.



Let's work through the different steps as well as what materials you will need to create this great look. Here are materials you will need.

• Brush and option of a paint roller
• Sea Sponge
• Primer
• Base Paint
• Second or third color paints
• Newspaper
• Rag or paper towels
• Ladder

As you can see not only walls can be sponged, but other accents can create a unique look in a living space. The first step to this type of project is to prime the area you are going to paint.

Prepare your walls to paint will give you the right steps before doing any painting project. Once the primer has dried, go ahead and put your base paint on the walls or whatever surface you are doing. Once the base paint is dried, you will be ready to use the sea sponge.

I recommend choosing one or two other colors to accent your base paint. There are a couple of options you can try with your accent colors. Let's say you are using just one secondary color.

You can use that color to sponge, or you can add a little white paint to the accent color and this will soften the look. The more white you add, the lighter the color.

Here are two excellent books to learn different styles and ideas for sponge painting and other interior projects.

Both books come with top reviews. If you like the idea of doing this type of project, these books are right for you.

Both books also make fantastic holiday or any time of the year gifts.

I highly recommend either or both of these treasures for your interior decorating projects.



You can actually use the secondary color and make two different tones to it. This will give you three different colors for the walls or surface. When using the accent color or colors, I like to pour the paint into a small container as it is easier to work with. If you are using two different accent colors, I still recommend pouring the paint into a container.

Sea sponges can be purchased at craft stores or local big chain stores, and are inexpensive.

The first step is to moisten the sponge, but don't saturate it. Dip it into the container of paint, but only a portion of it.

The sponge has different grooves in it and will create a few unique patterns. Always test it out on newspapers or an old piece of wood first, so you can see what the pattern will look like.



There is no set way of doing this type of project, it is design your own look. The fun part of doing this is you can create whatever type of pattern you want. The pattern can be closely woven or spaced out.

On my fireplace, I used three colors, and the green I actually made a lighter tone besides the original color to get the effects of four different shades. I also created a full overall pattern.