How to Diamond Walls

• Photo 1
• Photo 2
• Photo 3
• Photo 4
• Photo 5
• Photo 6

Hand-painted diamonds on the walls create lively and distinctive rooms. This pattern requires measuring and drawing, but the result is impressive.

Marking the diamond points

1. Decide on the number of diamonds you want to put vertically on your wall, generally 3 to 6 depending on ceiling height. Here we are making 4 diamonds in a vertical column, and our diamonds started up at the top of the wall.
2. Measure the height of the wall and divide by the desired number of diamonds. That number, X, will be the height of the diagonal of the diamond (from point to opposite point, as our diamonds are squares set on the diagonal) Our diamonds had a diagonal of 16" (40.5 cm).
3. Beginning in a inconspicuous corner at the top left of the wall, measure across half the length of the diagonal (in this case 8") and make a small A with chalk for the top of the diamond. If you want there to be a space at the left of your diamonds, start to measure half the length of the diagonal a few inches to the right of the perpendicular wall.
4. With the level, measure 16" (40.5 cm) down the wall and make another A (Photo 1). This will mark the bottom point of the first diamond on the upper left. Continue making diamonds down the entire wall. If the measurements do not work out evenly at the bottom, add or subtract a bit on each side, or make part of a diamond.
5. Go back to the place where you marked the first A, measure down 8" (half of the diagonal's length), and mark that location. It will be the middle of the diamond (Photo 2). With your level, mark a point 8" (20 cm, or half of the diagonal's length) to the left of the middle with a B and also mark a B 8" to the right of the diamond's middle. These will be the left and right points of the first diamond on the upper left. Finish the rest of the diamonds in that left column the same way.
6. Next, measure 16" (40.5 cm) across the wall, starting from the first A you marked, and mark the new place with another A. Each A will be a top point of a new diamond. Continue marking across the entire wall the same way, or as far as you want.
7. Go back to the position where you marked the first B (the left point of the first diamond), measure down 16" (40.6 cm), and mark this position with a B. This will be the leftmost point of the second diamond under the first one you drew. Measure 16" across the wall and mark with another B. This will be the rightmost point of the second diamond down.
8. Continue measuring and marking down and across the wall with A and B marks to make as many diamonds you need (Photo 3).
9. Use this measurement method for the rest of the walls of the room.

Taping off the diamonds

1. Tape off the trim and ceiling using the blue painter's tape to protect them from paint.
2. Lay the drop cloth out under the wall you plan to paint.
3. Now it's a matter of connecting the A points and B points. Using the brown tape, tape from the first A down to the first B on its left. The inner side of the tape should fall on the diagonal line between them. In a similar manner, tape from that B diagonally down to the next A. Then tape the right side of the diamond in the same way (Photo 4).
4. Start at the top of the wall and work your way down. In photo 4 we see me taping from the A at the top of a diamond down to the B on the right of the diamond.
5. Tape off ever other column of diamonds in the same way; using the A points for the tops and bottoms of the diamonds and the B points for the side points of the diamonds.

Painting the diamonds on the wall

1. Using a brush, put paint in the center of the taped-off diamond and paint out to the tape edges to prevent paint from bleeding under the tape (Photo 5).
2. Remove the tape promptly after applying the paint (Photo 6).
3. Plan your color scheme so you know which colors go where. In chalk, tag the diamonds you need to paint with the color they will be to avoid confusion. Begin painting the second column of taped-off diamonds. If you have a large wall to paint, it is helpful to skip a diamond between the one you just painted and the next one you need to paint, so the nearby wet paint doesn't get smudged.
4. After going around the room in this manner, you will have painted half the diamonds that are supposed to be painted.
5. After the first set of diamond columns dries, start the second round of taping and painting in the remaining columns of diamonds you wish to paint.
6. The chalk marks can be cleaned with a damp rag after all the painting is done and it has dried for 24 hours.