Since this wall mural requires a lot of measuring and taping, planning out your project is crucial. Consider how many colors you want to use, how large or small you want your squares to be, how many squares you want, and whether you want to use different sheens for each square color.

Once you've considered color and sheen, measure the length and height of your wall. From there, you can either divide the length and height by the measurement of the desired square size or divide the length and height of the wall by the number of squares you want to determine how big they need to be.

Now that you have a plan for your checkerboard wall, it's time to start with the base coat.

Before opening any paint, make sure you have a drop cloth to protect your floors and tape off any sections you don't want painted. Don't forget to properly ventilate the area by opening the windows or using fans.

Your base coat should be the lightest of the colors you plan to use. Apply the basecoat using best-practice paint techniques to ensure the smoothest finish before adding any squares.

Let it dry for at least four hours or overnight for best results.

Mark the squares using a carpenter's level, a pencil (or chalk) and low-tack painter's tape.

If necessary, adjust the size of your squares to fit the size of your wall.

Lay out your grid on the wall.

Begin by measuring the desired size of the square down from the top of the wall and use small and light pencil marks going across the wall (marks may show through).

Place a horizontal strip of tape across the wall with the top edge of the tape at your first measurement.

Press the tape edges down firmly to prevent the second color from bleeding into the adjacent square.

From the bottom edge of the tape strip just applied, measure the desired size of the square down and use your next strip of tape.

Continue to apply horizontal strips of tape down the wall. Occasionally, check your lines with a carpenter's level to make sure they are true.

Starting at the left edge of the wall, measure the desired size of the square across and make a vertical cut in the tape with a utility knife.

From that point, measure across only the width of the tape and make another cut.

Remove the cut section of tape you created. This cut section will be the width of the tape only. This is where you will lay your vertical strips of painter's tape to make your squares.

Measure across the desired square size from the cut section, cut and remove another tape-wide section.

Repeat the process across the rest of the wall space.

To complete the block pattern, apply vertical strips of tape crossing through the cut spaces you just made.

Continue until the wall has your checkerboard pattern.

Press the tape edges down firmly to prevent the second color from bleeding into the adjacent box.

As mentioned in step four, make sure to tape around the outside of the squares you plan to paint.

Using a mini roller, paint and fill in the squares with the topcoat (second color).

Fill in every other box down and across, using the same technique.

Allow the paint to dry for at least an hour before pulling off the tape. This allows the paint to dry to a tacky enough state to minimize seepage. Conversely, you don't want to paint until the paint is fully dry to remove it. Doing this will increase the risk of pulling up paint with the tape.

If you're overwhelmed by color choices, Sherwin-Williams offers a wealth of resources to help you find the perfect palette for your checkerboard masterpiece. From our color expert app to our color services, we'll guide you through selecting hues that perfectly complement your style and space. Explore our color resources today!