When Clare Collective ambassador Lauren Hom moved into her drab new-build New York apartment, she knew it would need a revamp. She wanted to add character, plus elements to match her warm, joyful, and super colorful aesthetic. The solution? A nature-inspired wall mural that encircles her desk, a portal for creativity, she says. The multi hyphenate creative (She’s a graphic designer and hand-lettering artist) lived in her city apartment while attending culinary school and decided to tackle her wall mural idea to bring a plain white wall to life. Looking for a simple DIY? Learn how Lauren tackled the piece in just one weekend.

Before

After

Look to Daily Inspirations

Since 2012, Lauren has run a freelance business, first getting interested in lettering in college before sharing her work online. And just like many New Yorkers who find themselves getting creative with their work-from-home spaces, she has mainly worked from a small desk in the corner of her room. While not everyone can have a desk propped against a sunny window, Lauren decided to bring the outside in by painting a wall mural, bringing pleasant, saturated color into her space, pulling inspiration from foliage, produce at the local farmers market, and even her collection of vintage spice tins.

Stick to Color Theory

Because Lauren only planned to be in this apartment for the school year, she thought paint was the perfect decorating option rather than hanging art. A small wall mural centered above her desk was her compromise. When it came to choosing colors, she went for a palette that would go with the other Clare colors already in the room: Daily Greens, a hunter green, and Extra Virgin, a moss green. Another hue of green would make the ideal trifecta, thus she decided on Mellow Mood, a cool gray-green, plus Current Mood, a deep moody green, as well as Like Buttah, a classic warm beige, and Subrosa, a dusty rose. After all, blue-greens and warm reds are perfect matches according to color theory.

Asses the Lighting

Before any paint project, Lauren cautions considering the light. In her apartment, she got lucky with plenty of natural light due to two large windows, which would make any paint she chose appear true to color. In a north-facing room, light can make colors appear warmer, while in less well-lit spaces, moodier, deeper tones will create a cozy effect.

Sketch It Out

Lauren designed her abstract mural on her iPad before projecting it onto the wall and tracing with a pencil. She then painted over her drawing, working in layers, and moving from the background to the foreground.

 

She started with the largest sections of color first (her usual process) and was able to complete the impressive mural in just one day. One of her best artist’s tricks? The key to painting a perfect circle is to tie a pencil to a string and nail that string to your center point. From there, you’ll be able to sketch a circle with ease.

 

Upcycle Always

After completing her mural, Lauren had some paint left over. Luckily, the quart-sized paint cans are easily sealed shut and she can save them for a later painting project. When any paint cans are empty, she recommends turning them into planters.