My Masterpiece (Or, How to Paint Stripes on a Wall)

I finally painted stripes on one wall of our second floor! I just wanted an accent wall up there because the area seemed too plain.

Originally, I wanted black and white stripes to match the pillows we have on the first floor. But it seemed a little too formal for the second floor, where the bedrooms are. Former Real Living stylist Coni suggested Tiffany blue. At first I was hesitant, but I figured a very light blue would complement the cappuccino-bordering-on-beige-colored bedrooms. My husband, who normally lets me have my way, mentioned that he didn't like the idea of a multi-colored house. So I settled for Ivory, very similar to our existing bedroom color.

To paint your own stripes, you'll need:

• Masking tape (not shown), for making stripes
• A small can of paint (I used Boysen's enamel paint in Ivory)
  
• A roller and paint tray
• A paint brush for little corners and edges
• Something to mix the paint with (e.g., that stick up there)
• Old newspapers--but we didn't have newspapers so I used a beach mat to protect the floor
• A ladder (not shown)
  

The step-by-step for a prepped wall (meaning no paint removal, sanding, and putty-ing needed):

1. Clean wall! You don't want dust and random cobwebs getting stuck under the paint.

2. Protect the floor and surrounding furniture. Cover with newspapers, drop cloths, or (in my case) a beach mat. Cover outlets and light switches with masking tape.

3. Make stripes by taping even sections with masking tape. I used two-inch wide masking tape.

4. Mix paint then pour into paint tray.
5. Dip roller into tray and start painting, using up-and-down strokes.
6. Using paint brush, paint corners and edges not covered by roller.
7. Let dry. Slowly peel off masking tape.
8. Retouch areas as needed.

Ta-dah!

With our dreamy MDF chandelier (must buy energy-saving bulb!)

Sounds simple enough, and it would have been had I not knocked over a can of paint (more on that in a future post)!

It's far from perfect--the original white paint peeled off some parts and I had to retouch, some edges aren't fully Ivory, the last stripe on the right is a tad darker (I had to use a brush since it was too small for a roller)--but I'm still quite proud of my handiwork!