Wall Treatments: The Art of Decorating with Stripes

A narrow, vivid stripe adds a color-pop between wider stripes.

Stripes have the power to redirect the eye and reshape a space. This orderly pattern will add visual interest to any space and, done correctly, complete a chic room look.

Stripes can go with any style in your home, such as vintage, modern, transitional, or country, depending on the colors and pattern you decide to use.  When considering adding stripes on a wall, there are some decisions that will need to be made, such as the colors, pattern, wide versus narrow, and horizontal versus vertical.

Most commonly used in bedrooms and playrooms, stripes can add a bold touch to any room and are a great way to give a room a unique touch. We’ve used stripes in some of our model homes, both in neutral and bright colors, and they create a big impact and memory point in the home.

If you are considering adding stripes in a room of your home, here are some tips to keep in mind for the best turnout:

1.  

    

   Painting busier stripes beneath the chair rail keeps them from overwhelming the room.

    

   Decide on your color scheme

Two to four colors are usually best when doing stripes but you can also do one color with two different sheens. For example, you can use the same color in a flat and a satin paint, alternating stripes for a subtle ribbon effect. Use a high-contrasting dark and light theme for high-impact stripes, or similar tones of a muted color (or, two sheens of the same color) for a more subtle effect.

2. Horizontal or Vertical

Vertical stripes (up and down) help to add height to a room while horizontal (left to right) draw the eyes side-to-side and can make a small room seem larger.

3. Decide on the details of the stripe pattern

Before touching your walls, draw on paper several different patterns to see which one you like best. Depending on the height of the wall and the effect you are going for, you may want your stripes 24" wide, narrower ones around 12", or even pinstripes. Most commonly, patterns include stripes of the same width with alternating colors, or stripes alternating in two different widths. Adding a small 3" or 6" stripe in between larger stripes will add character and gives the opportunity to add an additional color to your palette. If you are doing horizontal stripes, starting with the dark color closest to the ceiling creates a more dramatic look since most ceilings are white or light in color.

4.  

    

   Single, wide stripe as an accent ribbon around the room.

    

   Plan your paint area

Are you doing stripes throughout the room? On just one wall, as an accent? Or possibly, to create a pattern below a chair rail? If you plan on doing a busy striped pattern (lots of narrow stripes), it is usually best to keep it as an accent on one wall or below a chair rail, so it does not overwhelm. Sometimes, I like to add just one wide stripe as an accent ribbon around the room - I start 24" up from the floor and 24" down from ceiling and paint the entire area in between one solid stripe of color.

5. Get tools ready and start painting

First, you’ll want to paint the entire wall area your “base? color, if that is not done already. The lightest color should be your base. From there, you will need a tape measure and pencil to mark each stripe — you do not need to draw the entire line, but a single pencil mark measuring the pattern on each wall. Then, use a laser level held up to the pencil mark and blue painters tape to go all the way along the laser line and tape off your stripes. Depending on the size of your stripes, it might be easiest to use a roller verses a paint brush. Once your stripes are dry, take the tape off and voila!

6. Not a painter?

You can always opt for wall decals instead of painted stripes; this particularly works well for wide horizontal stripes. Another benefit of decals? They are easy to remove, if you decide to change your décor style.

Stripes are a fun and easy way to add character and personal style to any room, no matter where you live! Highland Homes builds new homes throughout Central Florida, Tampa Bay, Manatee County and Ocala, and offers more than 30 home plans for you to choose from, and decorate, to suit your needs. For more information about our stylish homes and communities, visit the Highland Homes website today!