How to Add Color With Horizontal Stripes Painted on a Wall

Paint the wall with a base coat in one of the colors of your stripe. Tape off the trim and lay plastic sheeting on the floor. Roll the wall with a paint roller, and cut in the edges and corners. Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours before applying stripe tape.

Measure and mark the top and bottom of the wall, using the width of the stripes you want to paint. Small stripes can be easily painted using a base coat that is taped off and painted over with the second color. A smaller stripe can look like wallpaper. Soft colors provide a subtle look, while strong contrast creates a more busy look. The wider and bigger the stripe, the stronger the impact. Varying-width stripes add visual interest. Tonal stripes tend to look sophisticated.

Use a chalk line, level and straightedge to draw your stripe lines, measuring from either the floor or the ceiling to keep the horizontal lines straight. Keep your pencil lines light. Tape off the lines away from the stripe you are painting, and mark the stripes you are painting with a piece of tape so you don't get confused. Press the edges of the tape down securely so paint cannot get under the tape.

Paint over the tape with your stripe color, and allow the paint to dry for four hours. Roll the stripe with a foam roller so there is less risk of painting outside the stripe area. Remove the tape, depending on the manufacturer's recommendations. Some suggest you remove their edging tape immediately using this method. Check before you paint. Do not remove the tape if you need a second coat.