Tips and Ideas For
Painting Stripes On Walls

It's very easy to change the mood and style of any room simply by painting stripes on walls.

But although this wall painting technique seems simple, stripe painting is also a pretty powerful way to alter the perceived size and even shape of a room, so it's important that you take your time picking paint colors, deciding on the width and direction of the wall stripes and considering other options that will determine the end result of your wall striping project.

Color of Wall Stripes

Choosing paint colors for painting stripes on walls is the first thing you'll need to tackle. With so many color choices and combinations, your possibilities are endless! If that doesn't sound like a good thing and you are feeling overwhelmed, stop and think about what kind of mood you are trying to create.

• wall stripes painted with shades of the same color are always a safe choice

• light colors are elegant and unobtrusive - they make a room look more spacious



• deep colors add drama and character to a room and make it feel more enclosed

• the higher the contrast between stripe colors, the louder the statement (be very careful with high contrasting colors and use them sparingly - or you'll end up with a room that looks like a circus tent)

Direction of Wall Stripes

Vertical wall stripes are the most popular and safe choice. Plus, in the right size, they can make your ceilings appear higher and give structure to a shapeless, boxy space.

Horizontal wall stripes create a more casual look - they also trick the eye by making the room appear larger, and the ceiling lower.

Diagonal wall stripes can be used with success when strategically applied to a part of a room (e.g an accent wall) to create an illusion of movement.

Width of Wall Stripes

The most optimal width for vertical stripes is about 6 inches - wider stripes look more casual and visually push the walls out; more narrow stripes look great on a small/accent wall, but start looking too busy when used for painting a room in its entirety.

Horizontal stripes look best when they are about 12 inches wide, while the width of diagonal striping should proportionally increase with the size of the painted surface.

Stripes of equal width are considered classic, but you can break away from the norm by combining 2 or even 3 different sizes for an added interest.

Sheen of Wall Stripes

Most people choose a flat, matte paint for painting stripes on walls.

But another alternative is wall striping in exactly the same color, but with different paint finishes - the effect is very subtle and elegantly understated.

Or, if you dare, you can even combine matte stripes with the ones painted in metallic finish.

Finish of Wall Stripes

Stripe painting is already impressive all by itself, but faux painting techniques take it one step further - they add texture and dimension to the pattern.

Besides, if you don't like the clean lines of regular stripes, decorative wall painting techniques can help you achieve a more antique, distressed or subtle look with softer or ragged edges.

Need more examples of painting stripes on walls?
Click here to see real people's Wall Striping projects and how they did it!

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