Youve probably been to houses that have a unique feel to them just because one of the walls in the living room had been done decoratively. A wall could be color blocked, given a marble effect, or, perhaps just sponged.

These techniques are not as complicated as they sound. Color blocking involves painting different blocks of colors of varying sizes onto a particular wall. A thing to remember if you are using this decorative form in your living room is that color blocking lends an air of sophistication to a room, and because of the attention it attracts, it is best to keep it to one wall only.

Sponging is even simpler. All you have to do is paint a base coat of the color you want onto the wall. Once it dries, use a damp sponge to apply a glaze. Similar to sponging is raggingafter the base coat dries, use a crushed cloth dipped in glaze and simply blot it on the wall.

Marbling perhaps is the more difficult option, meant for the more patient ones. It involves imitating the vein effect of marble onto a wall. One tip to keep in mind while marbling is to keep a piece of the marble in front of you before you start painting, and use a thin brush for the vein effect.

These techniques might seem recent and modern, but theyve actually been around since the Egyptians painted the walls of their tombs. While decorative painting started as a specialization, and was indulged in only by the upper class in the 17th and 18th centuries, it has now become an art form that can be used by both specialists and homeowners.