Now we are going to paint the wall. A contrast between the color of the wall and the paper sheets provides significant visual interest to this project. You'll need to tape off a large square using the dimensions shown below. You will probably want to position the display on a free wall, one without obstructions (windows, doors, outlets); you may also want to center it vertically so that it is evenly spaced between the floor and ceiling. To mark off the area you can use a level or a plumb bob on a string. Make sure you firmly press the edge of the masking tape against the wall to ensure that paint will not be able to creep below the tape and therefore outside of the masked area. Here are the dimensions you will need to mask off:

• Letter size million wall requires: 90 1/2" painted square
• A4 size million wall requires: 2243mm painted square

Next, following the paint manufacturer's instructions, paint the square inside the masked area. If you are using a dark color over a light background you may need two coats. Check the design considerations section at the end of this plan for more ideas for this step. To save paint, we simply painted those areas that will appear between the sheets: if you choose to use this method instead of painting the entire square, it is critical that your paper is opaque enough to prevent the paint color from showing through.