Quck answer
To paint two rooms sharing the same wall, follow these steps:
1. Prepare the rooms: Remove furniture, cover floors and fixtures with drop cloths, and tape off any areas you don’t want to paint.
2. Clean the walls: Remove dirt, dust, and grease by washing the walls with a mild soap and water solution. Allow them to dry completely.
3. Patch and repair: Fill any holes or cracks with spackling compound and sand them smooth. Use painter’s tape to protect trim and edges.
4. Prime the wall: Apply a coat of primer to ensure an even paint finish and better adhesion. Let it dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Paint the first room: Start by cutting in around the edges with a brush, then use a roller to cover the larger areas. Apply multiple coats if needed, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next.
6. Paint the shared wall: Repeat the same process on the shared wall, ensuring a seamless transition between the two rooms. Use a level or tape to create straight lines if necessary.
7. Clean up and enjoy: Remove any tape while the paint is still slightly wet and clean up any spills or drips. Once the paint is dry, move furniture back in and enjoy your freshly painted rooms.
Deciding how to paint a wall that is shared between two rooms can be a challenge. If you want to distinguish between the rooms visually, simply painting different colors on either side of a vertical line down the center of the wall won’t be enough. The key is to find a balance between separating the rooms and maintaining a cohesive look. The first step is to look for examples of open concepts in magazines or in other homes that you like. Then, imagine what the two rooms will look like with each possible color choice from all angles to determine what works well together and what clashes.
Step 1
Paint the shared wall one solid color that matches the color schemes of the three remaining walls in both rooms. Each room will have its own paint color on three of the four walls, making them distinguishable. For example, you could paint one room’s three walls straw yellow, the other room’s three walls sky blue, and the common wall royal blue, since all three colors match. Alternatively, you could paint the common wall a neutral color like white, beige, or cream, and paint the rest of the walls in complimentary colors, which are colors opposite each other on the color wheel.
Step 2
Break up the common wall where the two rooms meet with a vertical structure and paint on either side. You can use a vertical molding, such as a white pilaster, or a piece of furniture like a floor-to-ceiling wooden shelving unit. Paint the common wall on either side the same color or each half the same color as the room it is part of.
Step 3
Paint the entire common wall a solid color, either neutral or a matching color to the two rooms, but continue this color into both of the two rooms. Paint the bottom two-thirds of the perpendicular wall the same color as the common wall. Do the same for both rooms. Paint the top third of the perpendicular wall the same color as the other two walls of that room. Be sure to use a level to apply the painter’s tape in a straight, horizontal line. For example, one room could have two solid cranberry red walls and one wall with the top third cranberry and the bottom two-thirds burnt orange. The second room could have two sage green walls and one wall with the top third sage green and the bottom two-thirds burnt orange. The common wall would be completely burnt orange.