Striped walls for a touch of whimsy
STrIPED walls add an element of fun to a room and it’s a cheap way to decorate. Think horizontal navy blue strips in a bathroom for a nautical feel and vertical stripes, especially thin ones, to help raise ceilings.
Diagonal stripes are also fun, especially for kids rooms. If you want to do the job yourself, check out these tips.
First, decide on whether you want thin stripes or fat, and on the colour. In general, fat stripes shrink a space and thin stripes elongate. Bold colours are dramatic and soft colours subtle.
Second, measure the wall or walls. Calculate how many stripes will fit. To give yourself an idea of how it will look, paint some masking tape, and put it up on the wall. Sit back and see if it works. If not, move the masking tape around till it looks good and then measure and mark your walls with pencil.
Third, to avoid paint “bleeding” through the tape, paint the main wall. Let it dry for two days. Then apply your masking tape (wide is best so you’ve lots of margin for overbrushing) and seal the edges with the colour of the main wall. Let it dry for a couple of hours.
Fourth, for wide stripes, use a roller, for thin stripes you can use a brush.
Fifth, paint your stripes, let the paint dry and give it a second coat. Wait until the paint is properly dry. If you pick at it too early, the paint will come off, making a raggedy edge.