Harmonised stripes on your wall can give a sophisticated look and add interest to plain walls. It can be done with a steady hand and the proper brush, or with masking tape. For example, soft shades of green and blue produces a minty sweet colour scheme, as the blue base coat provides one stripe; green forms a second for a pattern that looks more complex than it is.
When painting by hand without the use of masking tape, you are giving a slight imperfection to the look. Two colours that are of the same variation of colour will give a softer look, whilst bright colours with more contrast will give bolder stripes. You can also work with two different sheen, like one stripe flat and the other glossy.
Tools and Materials
- painters masking tape
- clear, matte glaze
- paintbrush
- latex paint
- paint roller
- Measure and line with pencil the stripes that you want on the walls.
- Apply the masking tape as desired (outside the marked pencil lines so that the paint will cover up the marks).
- Run a flat card or edge of clean ruler on the tape for tight adherence to wall.
- Use a 1-inch paintbrush to apply clear, matte glaze (usually sold with faux-finishing supplies in the paint aisle) over the seam to seal it.
- Let dry to the touch (about one hour).
- Roll paint in the section, over the glaze and the tape (but not past it). Let dry to the touch (about one hour).
- Peel off the tape to reveal perfect stripes. The glaze prevents paint from working its way under the tape.
Textured Wall
Troweling a tinted dimensional compound on the walls will give a soft texture to your walls. Brush over it then apply a rich indigo glaze.
Tools and Materials
- paint roller + roller covers
- paintbrushes (for cutting in)
- semigloss or satin latex paint, two colors
- glaze medium
- stiff-bristle brush (use a synthetic broom head or a specialty brush.
- Paint a base coat of semigloss paint (we used yellow-green) on the wall; let dry.
- Mix a contrasting color (we used forest green) with decorator’s glaze in a ratio of 1 part paint to 4 parts glaze. Cut in the mixture with a brush, then roll it on a 4-foot-wide section. Important: The mixture needs to be wet for the next step.
- Drag a stiff-bristle brush vertically through the glaze mixture, working from top to bottom. After each pass, wipe the brush on a damp cloth. Slightly overlap the passes. Roll the glaze mixture onto the next 4-foot-wide section and continue dragging the brush.
