Clean your surface. Using a cloth or cellulose sponge dampened with water and a little mild dishwashing liquid, wipe down the wall(s) to be painted to remove dust and dirt. Rinse the walls with clean water to remove soap residue.

Tape the bottom of the wall or baseboard with the painter's tape and a drop cloth. Move the drop cloth about an inch away from the wall so that the tape will stick to both the floor and the drop cloth.

Measure how high you want the colorblocking to be. We recommend about 7 feet. Using a measuring tape set to 7 feet from the floor, make a pencil tick every foot or so along the wall.

Use a ruler to draw a line in pencil, connecting each tick along the wall.

Stick your painter's tape slowly above the line, using a level to make sure your line is superstraight.

Add a second strip of tape about halfway up the first piece of tape to ensure that even a sloppy paint stroke won't get paint above the tape.

If you don't want the connecting walls on either side to be painted, use painter's tape at the corners to protect the adjoining walls.

Now for the fun part! Start by using the paintbrush for edging along the floor, ceiling, and corners. Then, use the roller to get the large parts of the wall painted. Do your first coat, and let the wall dry for about an hour before starting on the second coat. When the paint is still tacky from the second coat, carefully pull the painter's tape off the wall. And voilà!

Let the second coat of paint dry for at least two hours before starting to put your room back together. Then sit back and relax as the compliments from your guests roll in.

The BEFORE & AFTER…