Pinstriping Technique

Paint

• Paint the wall with the base coat and let it dry overnight. Tape off your wall at 1-inch increments with low-tack painter's tape. Use a level to ensure the tape is perfectly straight. Tape another line of tape 1/8 inch in front of the previous tape lines. Press all of the tape firmly to the wall. Paint your pinstripes with the second paint color. Remove the tape immediately.

Markers

• Paint your walls a base color and allow it to dry overnight. Set a level on the wall so the bubble is centered. Draw your pinstripe line with a paint marker in the color of your choice. Draw the paint line down the right side of the level. Reposition the level so the left side of the level is butted up against your previous paint line, taking care not to smear the paint. Draw another line down the right side of your level. Work your way across the wall, drawing your pinstripe lines with paint markers.

Sheen

• Paint your walls with a base coat of flat paint and allow the paint to dry overnight. Tape off the wall, leaving a small gap between the tape for your pinstripes. Paint your pinstripes in paint that's the same color as the base coat but in a high-gloss or glossy finish. Remove the tape as soon as you're done painting the pinstripes. This pinstriping technique is more subtle than pinstripes of various colors and is a good option for monochromatic color schemes. Recreate this look by painting a coat of varnish over the base coat rather than changing paint sheens.

Horizontal

• Pinstriping is most often thought of as vertical stripes. Whether on a wall or a suit, pinstriping generally runs from floor to ceiling or toe to head, but there are no rules that say you can't put pinstripes on your wall horizontally. Use this process in narrow rooms or hallways to visually expand the space. Paint the walls a base color and let them dry overnight. Tape off thin bands to be painted, using a level to make sure the pinstripes are level. Paint the pinstriping a second color and remove the tape as soon as you've completed the painting.