Simple stripes?

There's nothing very tricky about painting stripes, except maybe choosing what kind, size and color of stripes you want.  I painted a living room last week that needed to coordinate with a Woolied entry hall and kitchen, but not just be more of the same.  Looking around the room, I noticed that Karen and Bernie's furnishings had a lot of vertical lines, which hinted to me that they might like stripes.  The scale and style of the space called for something not-too-skinny, nor too busy, so the concept was wide and subtle...but not too subtle...nor too dark.  I made three different samples, using the same palette of colors, and we still ended up doing choice number four. 

Technique 1:  Woolie, mask stripes, re-Woolie with exact same colors and technique.  These can be almost no contrast, as shown, or very high contrast, depending on the proportions of the colors used.  We were going for subtle, but Bernie thought this was too subtle.



Technique 2:  Solid background with ragged/scumbled glaze over.  I offered this option in case they wanted to add a richer color to the room, but still be subtle.  Bernie thought this was too dark, proving that not all men want to live in a cave.

   

Technique 3:  Woolie base with stripes of the darkest color from the blend glazed over the top.  Bernie thought this was just (about) right.



Technique 4:  Woolied base with white glazed stripes scumbled over.  Unlike wallpaper, paint allows you to change the color half-way through the job,  keeping particular customers, like Bernie, very happy...right, Bernie?



Matching adjoining rooms isn't always necessary, but it made the most sense in this house.  Stripes keep it from being too matched.

 Need something just right for your home, and need to see it to know it?  I would be happy to design samples to narrow down the possibilities.  Check out my website for information on how to hire me.  Theartofthehome.com.

Want to paint your own stripes?  If you need a little more guidance than I've given here, feel free to email me.  I'll be happy to give you all the info you need to create your perfect pattern. dawnmariedelara.@gmail.com