Walking The Line
Remember this old post about all the fun projects we were daydreaming about taking on with some bonus cash from BHG’s 48-Hour Challenge? Well 20,000+ votes later (!) we didn’t win the 5K (congrats Nicole!), but the good news is that plenty of those projects are still on the agenda. In fact, two of them are already completed! Remember we spruced up our patio a few weeks ago with a DIY firepit and some cheap-o lounge chairs? One down, four to go.
Well, better make that three because we’re back to share the second project that we tackled on the sly. We hinted at wanting to “introduce some layered, textural interest in the half bath” but then decided not to delve into details and surprise you guys instead. Well… surprise!
See that cream on cream texture that’s visible all the way from the front door? Let’s get closer shall we?
Yup, we painted cream on cream horizontal stripes in the half bathroom! It used to be the same tone as the hallways and the adjoining den (Wishes by Glidden) but we decided to amp it up in that jewel box of a bathroom with some lighter stripes to make the room feel a little more expansive (horizontal stripes have a way of creating that effect) and a heckova lot more interesting. Jenn’s Design Star makeover from last summer was actually our inspiration- it just took us twelve months to make it happen. Here’s the bathroom before our little paint intervention:
The entire project took just 4 hours one evening, and the steps were really simple:
Step 1: Divide & Conquer- Measure the full length of your wall and divide that number by twice the number of stripes that you want to have minus one (ex: our ceiling is 98″ tall and we wanted six horizontal stripes so we divided 98 by 11 (6 x 2 = 12 – 1 = 11) to get the thickness of each stripe. Ours came out to about 8.9 inches.
Step 2: Make Your Mark- Use a ruler to mark off every 8.9 inches starting from the floor and working up to the ceiling (we made two small pencil marks on each wall, one on each side).
Step 3: Tape It Off- Grab some blue painter’s tape and connect your pencil markings to create taped off stripes (once the tape is in place rub it a few times so you know that it’s flush with the wall for cleaner lines). The main thing to remember is that the tape should go outside the marks for the stripes you’ll be painting but inside the marks in the negative space that you won’t be painting. This might sound confusing, but just ask yourself if you’re taping off the stripe or the negative space as you go, and make sure the taped stripes are the right distance apart (ours were 8.9 inches) while the tape for the negative spaces is closer (once you remove the tape both areas will be the same width).
Step 4: Roll With It- Grab a good roller and some slightly lighter or darker paint (subtle is key for this look, so just going a shade or two away from the wall color makes for a soft layered look). Then apply two even and thin coats of latex paint between the tape that’s further apart to create your stripes. You’ll also need to use an angled brush to cut in near the base molding and the ceiling.
Step 5: Take It Off, Baby- This is a very very very important step. It’s crucial that you remove every strip of tape as soon as you’re done with your second coat of paint while the paint is still wet (assuming the coverage is good enough that you don’t need a third coat). Waiting to remove the tape until after the paint has fully dried will cause peeling and uneven lines that are less than crisp (which will make you want to cry after all that taping). In short: as soon as your roller is down, start pulling that tape off the wall for a clean stripe that looks seamless and sleek.
There you have it. Horizontal wall stripes. Easy eh? Oh and we used a quart of Valspar’s Honeymilk for the stripes because we actually had a $10-off coupon to Lowe’s. And thanks to that $10 off coupon, this entire project came in at just… (drumroll please)… $2.48. Gotta love that bang-for-your-buck upgrade!
We really like how our crystal tear-drop chandelier (a cheap-o Urban Outfitter’s score from a while back) looks even more dreamy with the soft stripes around it.
And our $9.99 art somehow feels even more spa-like with the tone on tone stripes:
We also feel particularly lucky that our stripes ended up framing our wall sconces perfectly (of course this is something you can ensure by starting your stripes in that area and working up or down to tape off the rest of them so nothing cuts through your lighting at a funny spot).
So there it is. Our under $3 bathroom makeover. We’ve always had a soft spot for stripes (take our blog’s background for example, or our recently striped porch) and I guess we just had to bring ‘em into our tiny half bath to fully embrace the linear love.
What do you guys think? Did any of you take on any cheap-o projects this weekend? Any striping stories of your own? Do tell.
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Comments
Hi
I love the look of your bathroom. What did you do to make sure the stripes were straight. Did you use a level?
Thank you,
Beth
Using a level would definitely work but we just used a ruler as we mentioned and measured between each stripe at the same increments to keep things even. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
A bit of a delayed question on this one… but I’ve got one for you! A few people mentioned that after they finish the tape job, they paint over the tape with the original color to “seal” the lines. Once that is dry, then they paint with the second color, and since it is sealed there are no drips through the tape. If I do that though, I would obviously have to wait until that “sealing” paint of the original color is dry before I use the second color… but you say to peel the painter’s tape off as soon as you’re done painting to avoid peeling. Well, is that sealing layer going to peel? Sorry if that’s hard to understand, but I’m dying to paint stripes in my new house and would really like to know your thoughts on that. Thanks!
Nope, if you decide to go that route it should be great since others have used that method with success. We’re crossing our fingers for you! We just prefer not to let the paint sit on the tape for too long to keep it from peeling off less cleanly, but if you try that alternate approach you’d obviously have to wait for things to dry. And we’d love to hear how it goes! There’s definitely more than one way to skin a cat (gross expression but so true). Good luck!
xo,
s
So I LOVED your striped bathroom that I had my hubby copy it in our half bath as well and it turned out GREAT! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! The only thing I am struggling with now (warning…this sounds really stupid) is finding a extra tp holder that isn’t ugly since we have a pedistal sink like yall do. Any suggestions? Where did you get yours?
We actually got both of our tp holders (in our half bath and full bath) from Target. They’re affordable and they have a surprising variety. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Just completed this project last night (taping urgh!) and it looks fantastic. I can confirm that the painting-over-the-tape-with-the-original-wall-color thing works and creates perfect, crisp lines. For tape-purchase planning, I used close to two rolls of 1 1/2″ blue tape to stripe my half-bath. Also, if anyone needs a color match for the Valspar Honeymilk paint but only has a Home Depot in town, Glidden Swiss Coffee is the pretty much the same color.
I *love* your website and this is a great tutorial! I have a very small bathroom that I’m trying to spruce up – and I am so inspired! I may stop by the paint store on my way home from work! Thanks much!
Love it! Did you use the same finish for each paint or did you go with a semi-gloss for your strips?
We used the same finish (semi-gloss since it’s a bathroom) but we could have switched that up for fun too. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I love love love your entire house, but these stripped walls have been my all time favorite since you did them. I am planning to do the same thing in my first floor full bath, however they are an awful shade of blue right now so I need to paint on the base color as well. How long after painting the walls do I have to wait before we can tape and paint the delicious stripes??
Thank you so much for sharing your life with us, and always know that you will have our blessing. I have a question related to the shower .
Why did you decide to go with a curtain ??
Did you ever considered a shower door instead ?
We are planing to redo our bathroom this summer and I am not so sure if I would like to keep the door , as I am working extra hard now to keep it clean. lol
Thank you again .
Hey Andela
We actually did consider hanging a seamless glass shower door instead of a curtain to allow the space to feel even bigger and more open, but with a little one on the way we thought something softer and less shatter-prone might be a smarter choice for our growing family. Plus it was easy on the budget!
xo,
s
Hi! I love this project and am in the middle of attempting this in our half bath. Do you have any advice on how to create those perfect lines? With an uneven ceiling and an uneven floor, this is proving to be quite the project! My tape keeps bowing in the middle to boot!
Help!
Just follow the steps in this tutorial above. The use of a level will really help you get the tape placed in the correct spot (no bowing at all) or you can use a ruler to make a bunch of subtle pencil marks that you can follow around the room so the tape is sure to be super straight. Good luck!
xo,
s
Hi! I love this idea and I want to paint tonal stripes in our new apartment. We have a long narrow entrance hallway that was painted by the building super, a warm buttery neutral color.
I have in mind to go a shade or two lighter, but I can’t get the name or info on the original paint color. I’m wondering if I take a photo of the original color on the wall, how accurate that’ll show up, and in which light to take the photo? the natural light or the hallway light?
Do you know of a safe nice light neutral option that goes great with any color I could look for?
Thanks! love your blog! I’m getting married next week and am more excited about decorating our first home together than anything!
Hey Katy,
Here’s what you can do- visit the paint store and grab as many swatches in a similar color to the wall as possible. Then bring them home and hold them all up against your wall- you’re sure to find at least one that’s extremely similar- and it’ll be a closer match than trying to take a photo of the wall and match it to that. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Thank you! This makes so much more obvious sense! Who has the best paint prices that you have found? I live in NYC, so my first thoughts are Home Depot and Benjamin Moore. Other than that I just stroll pass expensive hardware stores that may have a small paint display.
Thanks again!
We love Behr (from Home Depot) because it’s great quality paint for a good price. Benjamin Moore’s great too, but a bit more pricey. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
How long do you wait before you apply the second coat? I’m a beginner painter and recently took on the project of painting our office desk. Maybe wall stripes could be next…
Waiting a few hours should be good. You want each coat to thoroughy dry so it has a nice fully cured result at the end.
xo,
s
Weird question for you. Do you have a trash can in both bathrooms? If so, what do you use? Thanks!
A while back at Target we picked up two chic little clear actylic cylinder trash cans. They almost look like stout cylindrical vases but they’re not breakable like glass. Love them!
xo,
s
Thanks! Now an even weirder question. What do you do about a toilet brush? Why is it that necessities have to be such eyesores?
We have a small white one in one of those cases that can stand on the floor. We keep it tucked behind our white toilet on the far side so it’s virtually invisible unless you know it’s there (the fact that they’re both white helps it blend). Oh and we only own one even though we have two bathrooms so we don’t have to store two. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Do you think it would be too much if I did the same horizontal stripes in my half bath that also has 4ft beadboard? I wasn’t sure if it would be too crazy having vertical beadboard and then horizontal painted stripes. The beadboard is white and I would do the stripes in a subtle beige and creamy white.
We would probably just stripe the wall above the beadboard and keep the beadboard one of the two colors (maybe the lighter one so it feels “built-in.” Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Love the stripes (and the stripe-making tutorial!) I’ve been dying to try it in my half-bath.
One question… our half-bath is currently blue, so I’ll need to repaint before striping (I’ll probably do colors similiar to yours, since the rest of my house is in various shades of khaki.) Well, the previous owners got paint on the ceiling too. Should I paint the ceiling the khaki or creamy-white in the stripes, or just plain white like the rest of the ceilings? And if I went with one of the stripe colors, would you start your stripes at the top with the same color or the opposite? I have no crown molding.
p.s. I’m working on a plywood “counter” right now! Love your ideas and stealing every one of them. I’m hooked on the Bower’s blog too… you creative girls. : )
We would paint the ceiling the lighter color of the stripes so it feels cohesive and airy. As for starting your stripes at the top, we would start with with opposite color (the darker one) for that true striped effect and some nice contrast. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I love every room in your house! My husband and I got married last February and purchased our first home in June of the same year. I wish I would of visited your site before I started decorating! I would of coppied a lot of what you did. I was going to try to do what you did in your bathroom to ours. One question:
We have vertical stripped wainscot up now do you think it would look weird having vertical wainscot and horizontal stripes? Thanks!
If you paint the wainscot the color of the lighter stripe (a super soft off-white or cream tone) and then continue the horizontal stripes on the wall above it, everything should look lovely and seamless. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I did this in one of my bathrooms, and it turned out great! Measuring and drawing the lines was the hardest part, but after I got out a really long level and used it and light pencil marks, I got everything spot on. Everyone who sees it absolutely LOVES it. I tell them that if *I* can do it, anyone can do it. Thanks for this! I’d love to see how to do a diamond pattern on an accent wall. :)
I saw this a couple yrs ago in a magazine and did it on an accent wall in my living room vertically in dark purple with toast colored walls all around it. It looks very classy! It was also very easy and inexpensive. A great way to dress up a wall. I am a handywoman in Denver and my customers found your blog and want this in a small room. Very nice!
So this is my first every YHL inspired project. I’m about to attempt to paint my powder room. It’s medium sized for a powder room, but has no natural light/windows. Do you think it will work in a small space like that? Right now it’s asparagas green, so I’m not worried about trying something different, I’m just worried that it will over-power the space. Any suggestions??
Thanks for all that you guys do!!!
As long as you keep the colors pretty light and keep the contrast to a minimum (nothing too bold, like black and white stripes) it should turn out really well! Good luck with everything!
xo,
s
What is the width of each stripe? I don’t want too many stripes because I’m afraid it will get too busy. Also I have to two shelves in my bathroom that are approx. 13 inches apart and I was going to have my stripes width be 8 or 9 inches. I cannot figure out a way to get each shelf centered on a stripe…any suggestions?? I am so particular I dont think I will like it otherwise.
Hey Meagan,
The width of our stripes is listed in Step 1 (11 inches). As for how to get your shelves centered, if they’re 13″ apart we’re thinking your stripes would have to be 13″ apart so the shelf could rest in the middle of each stripe. So just divide the height of your wall by 13 to see how many stripes you should have at 13″ apart. Hope it helps and good luck!
xo,
s
Hello,
I really LOVE this site, and hope you keep posting more “how to’s”. I want to try to copy this bathroom, as its sooo different and refreshing. Can you tell me what colors you used for the stripes? Thank you.
We used Wishes by Glidden and Valspar’s Honeymilk for the stripes. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I was browsing to find out how to do the horizontal stripe in my bathroom and found your lovely bathroom. The rooom I want to do is very small with only a toilet and tub and connected to the dressing area where the sinks are. I bought a turquoise fabric shower curtain with two wide chocolate and off-white horizontal stripes that I want to duplicate on the wall. My husband thinks I am crazy so I guess I will have to do the work myself.
Sadly, we have no idea what specific parts you need (since every light fixture calls for different things). And in our case we didn’t hide the plug in cords, we purchased hardwired sconces so they never plugged in- but there may be a way to convert yours if they’re plug ins and you’d prefer them to be hardwired. We would definitely recommend bringing them to a hardware store or a specialty lighting shop to see what they recommend. And congrats on finding such a deal!
xo,
s