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This Norwegian Nursery Features a Playful DIY Wall Mural

Cullen Ormond
Cullen OrmondHome Associate Editor
Cullen Ormond is a writer based in New York City. When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up with a book (always open for recommendations, too!) or pushing her rescue pug, Peanut, in a stroller. In her dream apartment, there’ll be a conversation pit and lots of framed,…read more
published Aug 22, 2023
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multi colored splatter wall mural with stripes throughout, yellow dresser, yellow changing table on top, toys, basket of toys, light airy white curtains, green pleated lamp shade, wood floors
Credit: Anette Colbjørnsen

Picking out the best color to paint a kids’ room might feel like an overwhelming choice. There are so many factors to consider — namely, a child’s personality and age and a home’s overall decor. Some parents, however, use as many colors as possible (like this beautiful rainbow mural!).

One of those parents is ceramic artist Anette Colbjørnsen, who owns a colorful two-bedroom home in Strømmen, Norway. Instead of sticking to one color, she pulled inspiration from the colorful Jotex rug in their living room.

“I knew I wanted to do something playful with the walls of the nursery,” Colbjørnsen wrote at the time of her house tour. “Something that stimulates young brains. And one day, I just got the idea when I looked at our carpet.”

Updating the nursery was next on Colbjørnsen’s project list, so it was perfect timing when one of Norway’s biggest paint companies, Fargerike, reached out for her first brand collaboration. It turns out that they wanted to supply her with all of the necessary materials to paint a DIY mural on the walls. Here’s how she tackled the painting job. 

Credit: Anette Colbjørnsen

How Colbjørnsen painted a DIY wall mural

When Colbjørnsen found her muse (aka the living room rug), it was time to start the project. Here’s a step-by-step guide for how she pulled off the colorful mural. 

  1. Sketch a design on Microsoft Paint and test different color combinations to “find the right balance and contrast.” 
  2. Roughly mark the wall using a pencil (she asked her fiancé, Erlend, to help with this part of the project!). 
  3. Pick out paint samples. Colbjørnsen chose eight colors, including Fargerike’s Bregne, Ballblom, Flamingo, Istapp, Potentilla, Idahaug, Pæresorbet, and Lun lavendel.
  4. Start painting! Colbjørnsen used a small brush for the lines and a roller to paint the larger areas. In the end, she used two to three paint coats. 

“I desired to continue a bit on the other walls to make it not so boxy,” Colbjørnsen shared during her house tour. “I also came up with the stripes along the way to create more depth and color contrast. I’m really happy with the result, and it’s such a fun space for kids.”

Credit: Anette Colbjørnsen

The entire project took Colbjørnsen around two days to finish. “The paint dried very quickly, so I was actually done with most of it the first day and took the stripes and fixed some lines the next day.” 

Luckily, Colbjørnsen says she has much of the paint remaining and could use it for another DIY project. She admits she loves the nursery now because the “color party” makes her family smile. However, you’ll want to check out the full house tour on Apartment Therapy to see how her entire home bursts with vibrancy.