Striping a Wall

Stripes are a great decorative technique: They can be classic and elegant, or wild and crazy. They never go out of style, and they can change the perceived size or dimension of a room. Horizontal stripes make a room appear bigger; vertical stripes make the ceiling look higher. Stripes work best if they’re between four inches and twelve inches wide; less is too narrow and busy, more is too heavy and overwhelming. Before starting on the actual surface, it’s a good idea to practice on a piece of poster board or cardboard to make sure you like the color combination you’ve chosen. Paint often looks different on the wall than it does in the can.

MATERIALS

• Two different types of paint; different colors or different textures (i.e., flat and semi-gloss)

• Drop cloths

• Paint rollers

• Painter’s tape

• Ladder

• Laser or manual level

• Measuring tape

• Pencil or chalk

• Credit card/plastic spoon (to burnish edges of tape)

DIRECTIONS

1. Spread drop cloths over the floor and cover moldings, windows, and appliances with painter’s tape. Apply your base color; make sure to get nice, even coverage, as the base coat will be one of the stripes. Let it dry for forty-eight hours before starting work on the stripes.

2. Measure the wall, and calculate the number of stripes you’ll need. Decide on the thickness of the stripes you want.

3. Divide the wall, using a laser or manual level and measuring tape. Mark the stripes with pencil or chalk. (Tip: Use blue chalk, because red or yellow is a permanent color.)

4. Tape off the stripes. Remember that because you’ll only be painting every other stripe, you’ll have to outline both sides. And be sure to tape outside the chalk line; the fresh paint will cover the lines.

5. Burnish the wall, i.e., rub the edges of the tape with a credit card or the bowl of a plastic spoon to keep the paint from seeping under the tape. That’s how you get a nice, clean line.

6. Paint the stripes, making sure to paint over the tape line and to cover the entire area of each stripe.

7. Remove the tape, and voil`a, striped walls!