Up the wall - Why garden holiday walls are the new social media trend for young Brits
Move over flower walls. It’s all about holiday walls, the new summer trend for Gen-Z and millennials, as the younger generations miss holidays and miss posting the pictures on social media.
Wickes has partnered with DIY enthusiast Hannah Gale to show Brits how to create the newest social photography trend – the Holiday Wall.
We spoke to Hannah about her wall, and the process of creating it:
"As someone who loves having friends and family over to enjoy the garden (and has a few gatherings planned for the August holiday weekend), I was keen to create this holiday wall to inject some colour into the garden and give my friends a fun backdrop to pose against for their Instagram pictures. I took inspiration from all the gorgeous colours and designs in the Miami Art District. With everything available at Wickes, the whole process from buying the supplies and painting the wall was so much fun, and my Insta feed is thanking me for it already."
Follow Hannah's step by step guide and create your own holiday oasis in your very own garden.
Hannah's step by step guide
Start by looking for inspiration to get an idea of the type of holiday-inspired designs and colours you like. Look back on your favorite holiday Instagram settings to see what inspires you the most, and use Pinterest to create a mood-board for your chosen location and style.
Draw out your design so you can work out roughly how much paint you’ll need and in which colours - remember, it’s easy to mix different paint colours yourself to get the exact shades you’re looking for.
Gather your tools and materials before you start. You’ll need
masonry paint, as well as
brushes in a variety of sizes. A
roller is handy if you’re doing a large part of the wall in one colour. Paint trays are also useful, especially for mixing colours.
Frog tape, dust sheets, overalls and gloves are also handy.
Prep your wall! You can
pressure wash it beforehand to remove dirt and residue, but you’ll need to allow plenty of drying time before painting. Otherwise you can use a
wire brush to remove loose paint. Depending on the type of wall you’re painting you may need to
prime it to make it easier for the paint to be applied, or use a fungicidal wash to treat fungus.
Map out your design by hand using a pencil and line up any straight lines with Frog Tape (or masking tape) to help get a neater finish.
Get the area set up with dust sheets, and then it’s time to get cracking. Once you’ve opened your tins of paint, ensure to give them a good stir before using them and then start by first tackling any big areas that are likely to need two coats.
Make sure you leave enough time between coats (dry time can vary so worth looking on the individual cans for more detailed instructions). If your wall has a rough texture you might find it easier to freehand some of your design once you have removed any Frog Tape.
Regularly stand back and take in your design from a bit of a distance to help work out if there are changes to be made or any places that could do with another coat.
Once you’re happy with your wall, allow to dry and then accessorise space with garden furniture, plants and outdoor lighting. Then it’s finally picture ready - get snapping!
If you have been inspired to create your own holiday wall, share the pics with us via our online gallery or mention @wickes and #WithWickes on Instagram.
