Painting A Room's Walls With Stripes
Posted on: 22 March 2019
Painting with stripes is a creative way to bring interest and definition to a room. The effect can be elegant and timeless, funky and modern, or many other things. Here are some tips for using them in your home painting renovation project.
Vertical Stripes
Vertical stripes can add structure to a boxy room that doesn't have any stand-out architectural features. They can also alter its perceived proportions, typically by making the walls seem taller and the ceiling seem higher.
The first important decision you will need to make is about the stripe colours and their degree of contrast. One possibility is to go with tone-on-tone, alternating two shades of the same colour, which creates an understated, timeless look. High-contrast stripes, such as navy and cream, for example, can tend to create a claustrophobic or otherwise overwhelming feeling if the whole room is painted. But such a color scheme might work perfectly for an accent wall.
The next important decision is about the stripe widths. Equally sized strips look classic. But painting varying widths can give a contemporary edge, particularly when combined with bold, contrasting hues.
Too-wide stripes can seemingly flatten a room's proportions, pulling the ceiling downwards, which can work well in high-ceilinged homes. On the other hand, if the stripes are too narrow, this can produce a busy, cluttered effect. However, painting small areas in a pinstripe pattern can evoke elegance.
For the ultimate understated effect, you could get your interior painters to contrast the paint sheen rather than its colour. This would mean using the same colour in varying sheens so that one stripe is matte and the other satin, for example. The shinier one will appear somewhat lighter, creating subtle differentiation between the two.
Horizontal And Diagonal Stripes
When considering striped walls, you may automatically think vertically. But stripes can also run horizontally or diagonally. Horizontal stripes can also alter the perceived proportions of a room, but they tend to broaden the space. At the same time, however, they can also seemingly lower the ceiling. However, you can go extremely wide if you wish, as even just several strips for the entire wall can be effective.
Diagonal stripes are another possibility; they generally impart a funky effect, full of life and movement. But this type of design is best reserved for smaller areas, as it can be too much for all four walls.
Contact interior painters in your area for additional information.
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