I am thrilled to hear from people who take such an interest in decorating their homes. Making a slight change to your décor can make it feel like a completely different place. For example, stripes can offer beautiful symmetry and add structure to a room. Anyone who introduces stripes into their home will see how this adds instant style and pizzazz to an ordinary room. Remember stripes don’t have to be vertical they can be horizontal or even diagonal; it all depends on the desired look you are trying to achieve. Horizontal stripes make a room appear more spacious and vertical stripes make the ceiling appear higher.

 

There are two pieces of equipment that are vital to source before you get started; painter’s tape and a measuring tape. When choosing the paint you wish to use in the room, be sure to pick contrasting colours such as colours in a similar spectrum. Some people may like to play it safe and choose a lighter shade of the current colour on your walls. If you are feeling bold in your colour choices just remember there is no limit to how creative you can be.

 

Planning is key so make sure to put the effort in before you begin painting. Choose the stripe width whether it be vertical or horizontal. Mark the stripes in intervals with pencil on all four walls or alternatively to your feature wall before applying the tape. A builder’s level is a great tool to help ensure all of your lines are straight. Take your time with the preparation and the end result will be worth it. After painting four or five stripes, carefully remove the painter's tape from the finished stripes while the paint is still wet by pulling straight away from the wall to prevent the stripe colour from getting into the opposite strips colour.

 

One room that this works particularly well in is a child’s bedroom. Painting stripes on a child's bedroom wall adds visual interest and repeated pattern makes the room more stimulating for the child. You can add stripes to the entire room or on a feature wall to tie in colours from linens or correspond with a specific theme. Shades such as Fairy Fust, Rodeo Drive and Pink Sugar are the perfect colours for a little girl’s room or for a little boy’s room, shades such as Lupin and Blue Light work particularly well together.

 

People tend to think that because bathrooms are one of the smallest rooms in the home that it can be difficult to do something different with this space. By adding horizontal stripes you can give the elusion of a bigger room while giving creating a unique finish. Shades that work great together are Oxygen, Soft Duck Egg, Cool Aqua and Dragonfly. Make sure to use Crown Kitchen and Bathroom emulsion which is designed to resist steam and condensation.

 

 

By adding stripes of rich colours to a feature wall in your bedroom you can add a sense of elegance to the room. Shades such as Berry Mid, Soft Berry and Armagnac work well as statement shades and would look gorgeous in a master bedroom. Incorporate the dominate shades through your soft furnishings and accessories to complete the look.

 

If you want to incorporate stripes into your home other than on the walls you have lots of options. Stripes can be brought in through patterns on bedspreads, curtains, pillows, towels and carpets. Rugs are a great way of bringing colourful stripes into a room with minimal effort. By picking up a colour from your walls and finding a floor covering with that exact colour along with some others it can give your room an instant boost.

 

With this added knowledge I hope you can create a home that is full of pizzazz making it the perfect retreat for you and your family. Your home should reflect your personality so don’t forget to let your creative side flow.

 

Happy decorating!