How to Design Wall Stripes for a Teenager's Room

Decide on horizontal or vertical stripes. Walls painted with vertical stripes create the illusion of higher ceilings and a larger space. Horizontal stripes help to "cozy up" larger bedrooms. Also, decide if you want to paint one accent wall with stripes or the entire room.

Choose your paint colors. If you are giving your teen's room a complete makeover, you can create any color scheme. However, if you are going to keep items such as bedding, furniture and window coverings, coordinate your paint colors with those furnishings. Stripes are commonly painted by alternating two or three colors. Place paint color swatches next to each other to decide on a three-color pattern. Glossy paint finishes create a shinier finish than matte or satin paints.

Measure the width of each wall you will paint vertical stripes on. Typically, vertical stripes are about six inches wide. Divide your width measurement by six to determine how many vertical stripes to paint. For horizontal stripes, measure the height of each wall you will paint. Horizontal stripes are typically about 12 inches. Divide the height measurement by 12 to determine the number of horizontal stripes to paint.

Wipe down walls with a mild detergent and water and dry thoroughly to prep them for taping and painting.

Mark the top and bottom lines of where each stripe will go, using a measuring tape, a level, and a pencil. Draw a light pencil line between them using a level. Lightly mark on the wall with a pencil the color for each stripe.

Apply painter's tape to the pencil line outside the area you will paint, skipping every other stripe for painting two colors. Skip every two stripes if painting three-colored stripes.

Position a straight edge along the taped edges and use a paintbrush to apply paint for a crisp, clean edge. Use a roller to paint the interior of the taped stripes. Allow the paint to dry about an hour and apply a second coat of paint.

Allow the paint to dry for several hours and remove the painter's tape. Apply tape to the outside edges of the unpainted stripes. Repeat Step 7 with the next color of paint and remove painter's tape after several hours of drying time.