Birch Tree Statement Wall

Today, I wanted to share the birch tree mural in our dining room. I've been blown away by the amount of praise and sweet compliments we've received on social media regarding this project! Thanks so much to everyone for your kind words. Here's a look at the story behind this endeavor and some tips for painting one yourself.
For a few weeks, my husband and I had a blank wall in the dining room. I had recently redecorated our house, resulting in a big empty beige wall. I couldn't decide what I wanted-- an architectural feature? A large painting? A gallery wall? Nothing? I mulled and mulled the issue... and then one day, it hit me:
A birch tree statement wall. It was perfect! It would serve as art without actually taking up any space-- a win, win for a small space like ours. (I may or may not have been watching ABC's Once Upon a Time on Netflix at the time. If you're a fan of the show, you'll understand. There's a profusion of birch tree wallpaper, and I want it all.)
Oh man, I thought. Mark will never go for this. Shame on me for assuming, because he was all for it, much to my surprise! Of course, he's always said he could live in the woods. So I guess now he does-- minus the cold, the bugs, and the brambles.
Here's a look at how we created this one-of-a-kind statement wall without using stencils or decals. Yep, we handpainted this beast!

What You'll Need: pencil assorted paint brushes white Satin finish paint black paint grey paint paper towels
What You'll Do: 1. Determine your design. I started by drawing the design on the wall using a charcoal pencil. I like using charcoal because it blends with paint. I drew the entire design onto the wall. But you can tape it off with blue painters tape if you would prefer.
2. Paint the white trunks. This was the most time-consuming part of the project.
3. Create a three-dimensional look by shading with your grey paint. Mix the grey and white paint together and apply to the trunks. This will keep them from looking too stark and give a bit of shape to them.

4. Use the black paint to create the peeling birch bark and branches. Get creative. Look up images of birch trees to guide your design.
5. Allow to dry, and you're all done!
I am absolutely in love with the end result. Mark and I have renovated every bit of this house on our own. Some projects have been frustrating and others rewarding... but this DIY by far was the most fun. I love how it turns the wall into a piece of art. The vertical white tree trunks elevated the ceiling, so our dining room even seems taller, while the black branches make our black iron chandelier really pop. I'm so glad I took the risk and did it!