Recessed walls provide cozy niches to add bookshelves, reading alcoves or architectural interest to a room. The process of painting a recessed wall is similar to any other wall in your home, but you must also consider the appearance of a recessed wall relative to its surroundings and how the desired look is achieved. Most homeowners can paint a recessed wall in less than a day, but deciding the final effect you want to achieve may take some care and planning.
If you want to accentuate your recessed wall with paint, there are a few points to consider. Recessed walls stand out more if they are either darker or lighter than the other walls in the room. Lighter shades will pop in a darker room and can add needed light for rooms with small windows. Darker shades are suitable for rooms with light walls, and will also accentuate the recessed wall. If you plan to install shelves in the recessed area, consider contrasting the wall color with the shelf color. This will make items you put on the shelves stand out.
Sometimes the goal is to make a recessed wall less noticeable. In that case, consider painting the recessed area the same color as the rest of the room. A single color provides a monochromatic look, in which only the shadows in the room identify the recessed wall. If you want the recessed wall to be evident without drawing the eye from the rest of the room, consider using colors in the same family as the surrounding wall. For example, if you have caramel or beige walls in the main part of the room, a light brown or muted red would separate the recessed wall as a wall feature, but would not cause it to dominate the room.
Once you’ve selected your paint color, the recessed wall must be prepared properly to ensure the paint adheres. Wash the walls with a damp cloth to remove dust and debris and remove all nails, hooks and screws. Fill the holes with putty and allow it to dry. Sand the patched areas smooth. Apply painter’s tape along the outside edges of the recessed wall. Press the tape down firmly to remove bubbles and wrinkles. Cover furniture and floors with tarps or plastic sheets to avoid stains.
Recessed walls are tricky, because painting the edges where the recessed area meets the main walls must be done perfectly to avoid having the color bleed to the other surface. Taping off the area immediately adjacent to edge of the recessed wall helps avoid most of this problem. Use a cut-in tool to paint the edges of the wall and small corners at the top and bottom. Cut in around baseboards and ceilings or trim with a narrow brush. Apply paint onto the remaining areas of the recessed wall with a roller. As with any wall, apply a minimum of two coats of paint to ensure you get uniform coverage without streaks or thin spots.
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