Want to put an individual stamp on your space? Nothing beats a unique, hand-drawn paint effect, such as the scalloped door frame Russell and Jordan created in episode 6 of Changing Rooms. Here’s a handy step-by-step guide to help you add a little bit of curve to your crib…

Introducing anything handmade into your home will give it instant personality, but who’s really got time to spend handcrafting? If you’re after an almost-instant creative touch, why not try a signature paint effect, like the scalloped, squiggle door frame that Russell and Jordan from 2LG Studio created for Donna’s bedroom, instead. It’s just as effective as a homemade cushion but it will only take a couple of hours to do. And it will add that unique bit of ‘you’ to your room’s décor.

Select a shade that works well with the base colour of your room. Here, 2LG used Wild Poppy, which picked up tones elsewhere in the room, as well as creating a fabulous contrast against the pale pink walls (painted in Lady Penelope). Once you’ve got your colour sorted, decide on the shape you want to create and go for it!

To mark out the outline of your squiggle, follow our guidelines below or just do your own thing. Perfect symmetry is not what you’re after here. If you’re not confident drawing freehand curves, you could always use a paper plate or a small bowl as a template to draw around. Watch the video to see how Georgie Baker, our Dulux Select Decorator, does it, and then have a go yourself… 

You’ll need

• Paint (shown here: Wild Poppy matt emulsion)
• Tape measure
• Pencil or coloured chalk
• Small paint kettle
• 1 small paintbrush
• 2” synthetic brush
• Dust sheets

Step-by-step method

1.    Lay down dust sheets.

2.    Measure the door and decide on the number of scallop squiggles that would work best in the space.

3.     Mark what will be the high and low points of your squiggles with a pencil or piece of chalk. The high points should be around 10cm from the door edge.

4.    Pour your paint (here: Wild Poppy matt emulsion) into a paint kettle and stir. 

5.    Dab the pencil marks with paint using a small paintbrush, until you’ve worked your way all around the door. 

6.    Still using the small paintbrush, join the dots with a smooth, curving line to create a scalloped effect. Don’t worry too much about creating the perfect outline at this stage; you’ll be able to refine your squiggle when you fill it in later. And, remember, this effect is meant to have a unique, hand-drawn feel, after all!

7.    Continue around the door until you have a complete scalloped outline to follow. 

8.    Use a larger paintbrush to fill in each squiggle and leave to dry.

9.    Ta-da!