How to Create an Organic Room Design Using Paint

When it comes to interior decorating, you need to start with a style. One mesmerizing style that can be difficult to achieve is organic design. In organic design, you have to incorporate aspects of nature along with a free-flowing, unique atmosphere. It can be difficult to balance these features into a completely organic design, but a little bit of creativity and some cans of paint can get you started.

What an Organic Design Looks Like

First off, you need a clear idea of what organic entails . Unlike common perceptions, it is not a natural design. Natural designs incorporate land or seascapes into the decorating. For example, in a natural interior design, artwork depicts a forest, stream, mountain, or ocean. Natural designs also incorporate materials such as wood, bamboo, and leather into the room.

Organic design is a way of connecting to nature, without displaying naturalistic furnishings and images. Organic design relates more to an organism than a location. For example, in a natural interior design, you find curving shapes that flow into one another (think of an amoeba and how it moves and grows), and instead of replicating a scene found in nature, you create your own natural environment of continuity. Some even say that the purpose of organic architecture is to "build forms more natural than nature itself."

Start With a Good Paint Design

Now that you have a better understanding of what organic design is and isn't, you are ready to discover how paint comes into play. When you decorate a room with a specific style in mind, you can't leave one aspect of the room out. Each piece of furniture, all the artwork, the floor, and the walls all need to fit into the style you choose.

If you start with an idea for the wall, it is easier to find organic furnishings that complement your design. First, get an idea of shape. You can look at some major pieces of architecture such as the Sydney Opera House or the plan for the reconstructed World Trade Center. Both of these designs have evident structure, but they flow from one piece to another. That is what your wall design should do. You can use swirls or curves that grow and diminish in size, arches that interweave, ripples or bubbles, etc.

Sketch out your idea and try to imagine it filling your wall. Even if you aren't an artist, you can paint your own organic design on the wall. Choose something simple and repetitive that you can replicate with large paintbrushes.

Tips for Painting Your Wall

Once you have a good idea in mind, you are ready to paint. It's best to start with a solid, darker background and paint the design in lighter colors. This adds to the subtle flow throughout the room. Darker shapes on a lighter background would be too stark, and you want a gentle emphasis on your design choice.

Use different sized brushes to create your shapes. This adds to the atmosphere of creation, growing, and diminishing that makes up an organic design. Paint 1 square foot (depending on the size of your design, you may need to paint a larger sized space) at a time, and repeat the pattern so that the design remains continuous throughout.

Use texturizing techniques to enhance your design. Some supplies you'll need for texturing your walls include a coarse roller brush for the solid background, a paint comb for lines and ripples, or a paint sponge for blotting. Consult paint supply locations for more ideas or assistance.

Painting your walls in an organic design is the first step to redecorating a room. Once your walls are painted, you can fill the room with furniture and artwork (even change the flooring if necessary) to create a completely new space.


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