How to Paint a Striped Wall

When I was early in the planning stages of Baby Sister’s nursery, I knew I wanted to create a high impact design on the focal wall of her room. I didn’t want it to detract from the decor I was going to be putting together, but I definitely wanted it to stand out. Big, wide stripes seemed like the perfect solution and after a smidge of convincing The Husband was on board too. Because it isn’t the easiest of processes to figure out, I’m thrilled to share exactly how we he was able to perfectly paint a striped wall!

Materials:

laser level

tape measure

pencil

ladder (if needed)

painter’s tape

paint for stripes

paint brush

Directions:

1. Start the process by prepping your room for paint. Remove all light switches and outlet covers. Make sure your base coat of paint is clean and dry. If you want to cover your floors with a drop cloth of some kind, now is the time.

2. Use the laser level and the tape measure like its your J-O-B. I’m one that typically likes to eyeball measurements, but this isn’t the time for that. Measure 10.5 inches from the ceiling in a few different places and mark a small dot with a pencil. Use the laser level to “connect the dots” to create a straight, level line.

3. Run a line of painter’s tape along the top of the laser line. Don’t rush through this step; take your time to make the line precise. Press the tape firmly against the wall to create a solid seal.

4. To create the bottom of the stripe, you’ll need to measure 10.5 inches again from the bottom of the tape (if you want the same size stripes we made). Follow the same steps as you did in 2 and 3, except this time, you’ll need to place the tape on the bottom of the laser line.

5. To finish the stripe, place tape vertically along each end of the wall.

6. Repeat the steps to create the stripes for the entire length of your wall. Its very tempting to get a little lax towards the bottom, but don’t! Every line needs to be super precise to get that perfect look. When all was said and done, our very bottom white stripe was 11.5 inches wide but we thought that would look better than a single 1 inch gray stripe. No one has even noticed the difference.

7. When all of your stripes are taped out, carefully paint within your taped off stripes. Let the paint dry before removing the tape.

8. Step back and admire your handiwork!

The Husband knocked this out of the park and I’m thrilled with the results! If you choose to take this project on your own, I’d love to see how it turns out. Send me pictures at katie {at} sweetrosestudio {dot} com and I just might share them!

Linking Here:

Tatertots & Jello * Lil’ Luna * Positively Splendid

Whipperberry * I Heart Naptime * SNAP