If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you have probably noticed that some major changes have been happening! Last year I found the “bookcase” next to the fireplace, we replaced our sofas and office doors, and last week I updated the fireplace. One of the things that I’ve wanted to do for a while, is add interest to the walls. The room seemed so flat…so my solution was to add a wide stripe.
What do you think? I love it! I keep walking into the room, just to see it ONE more time! 😉
I have heard horror stories about stripes, so I was thinking this would take me FOREVER, but it actually went pretty quick. I’m sure there are a million ways to to do this, but here is what worked for me.
What I used: laser level that stuck to the wall, pencil, level, tape measure, Frog tape, and paint.
1. I figured out how big I wanted each stripe and where I wanted them to start and stop. I choose 18″ and started at the ceiling with a half stripe. I eventually want to add crown molding and I thought since I was using white it would blend with the ceiling and make the room look taller.
2. Mark each stripe’s measurements starting from the ceiling. Make the mark about a foot from where you want the laser level. If you see the photo below, the laser doesn’t show up for about an inch or so.
3. I used painters tape to make sure the level did not move. Sometimes one of the pins would pop out and cause the line to move…it only happened once! 😉
4. Once the level was in place, I just followed the line with the tape. If you do this at home, make sure you pay attention to where the stripes are going. For every painted stripe, the tape went above the first line and below the second line.
5. To continue the tape in the gap where the laser level was, I just used a regular level. I put a light make using a pencil and then taped.
6. Paint and repeat!
The room looks bigger, don’t you think? (Which is why I don’t WEAR horizontal stripes… but they sure look great on my walls!)
Do you see how perfect the lines are? I will always, ALWAYS use Frog tape from now on!!! I can’t believe how well this tape works!
Remember this table? The ladder has stayed there since Christmas and I just added a few small pictures and a mirror that I’ve collected over time.
Do you see stripes in your future? 🙂
~Angela
Wow – the horizontal stripes really make her look amazing – has she been working out?!!
Kelly
Thanks, Kelly!! 🙂
I love it Angela! Makes me want to paint a room in my house now. Great job!
Thanks, Shanna! You are painting diva, so I’m sure you will have no problem with stripes!! 🙂
Very nice job, would you come and help me to do that in our living room? It looks so wonderful, light and yes makes your l/r look bigger. Looking bigger would be great for our small l/r. We have 3 doorways going out of it which doesn’t help and when we come in front door we’re in the living room, hallway to front of home to right. Hate it but you live with what you have. I love the white and tan you used.
Love how you featured the ladder also, goes great in the room with the objects hung on it.
Your home is so nice. Your l/r looks so serene.
Glad you shared this post as I’ve been trying to figure out something little catchy to do on one wall in our l/r anyway. The long wall we have runs thru l/r, kitchen and mud room. We have a single wide mfg. home/16×80 so it’s one long run.
I found a pretty cream paint color at Lowes in a sample bottle called Swiss Coffee, it’s so creamy and soft looking, love it much better than a white, I’d use it and the paint I’ve been collecting from Ace hardware on their free paint give aways. Have a gallon now, called Sand Storm. I’m hoping it won’t have too much yellow in it. I love the “tan” color you used. I’ll have to re-read the post to see if you mentioned the colors you used.
Love your blog, always enjoy your posts and projects. Happy Days
Its amazing what stripes can do to any plain boring wall. The next time we are ready to get our walls done, we are surely going to add some stripes too.
Ranald, thanks!!They make a huge difference! 🙂
This color combo stripes not just makes your room neat, it is also can make your room fabulous.