painting stripes Archives - Sincerely, Sara D.

I’ve been wanting to make my mudroom a little more exciting, and I was inspired by a photo I saw in HGTV magazine. In the photo, the entry was painted in black and white horizontal stripes. I decided to do the same! Here’s an Instagram photo I recently shared. (BTW – I’d love for you to follow along with me on Instagram.)

Here’s my (very white) mudroom area before the stripes:

I went with horizontal stripes like in my inspiration photo. I always use Frog Tape for these types of painting projects. It really is the best painter’s tape out there and helps with seepage.

Want to know more about painting stripes? Click HERE.

After all the taping was done, I used black paint and added the stripes:

And here’s a photo of the after!

I added artwork and a mirror from Hobby Lobby, a pretty wooden “vent” I pulled from a family barn, and a family canvas photo. The shoe cubby in the middle of the room was an old mail sorter I found at a local antique shop. (UPDATE 12/21/15 – FREE plans are now available for this mail sorter turned shoe cubby. If you want to make your own, visit Remodelaholic.)

I was told it was in our town’s original post office, and I have a tutorial for the DIY chalkboard calendar you can see HERE.

I have to admit this was NOT the afternoon project I had envisioned. After I was done adding the black stripes, I had some touching up to do and (after trial and much error) realized I didn’t have the white color the previous owner had painted the mudroom. Stupid me tried three different whites that were left behind, and none of them matched the current white. I had white blotches everywhere, and it was driving me mad (although it doesn’t take much)! So, I repainted the white stripes AND the entire mudroom. My afternoon project turned into an afternoon, evening, and late into the night/early morning project.

I replaced the white with a color I’ve used throughout my home: Valspar’s Cincinnatian Hotel Briggs Beige. (Want to see more about this color and other colors in my home? Click HERE.) I loved the previous white, but it was already getting pretty dirty and wasn’t practical for a mudroom and three kids.

Phew. That was WAY more work than I thought I signed up for. BUT, it was worth it!

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

Find me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Are you new to my blog and want to see what else I’m up to? Click on the below photos. *Special thanks to Melody Carpenter of Carpenter Photo for the beautiful photos after photo and shoe cubby photo.

Adding stripes to a wall is a fun way to add interest to a space.

I am really close to revealing my living room and my boys’ room. But before I do, I am going to show you a little striped sneak peek! Horizontal stripes are fun and can work in many different spaces. From my formally casual (does that even make sense?!) living room:

To my playful boys’ room:

Stripes are much easier than they appear. The setup is the most time-consuming part, and it does require a little math to make your striped pattern work out correctly. I ended up doing 10-inch stripes. I used a ruler and started from the ceiling. I just marked off 10 inches as I ran the length of the wall.

Then, I connected the marks (using a level) to make a straight line.

Next, I taped over my line. *Important tip: Use Frog tape. It’s so worth the extra money! It helps keep your lines much crisper without the paint seepage.

Finally, paint the lines. I marked the sections I wanted to paint with a large “x”. It can get confusing!

Now for a much better tutorial, check out Angela’s stripe painting tutorial at Unexpected Elegance. I wish I had read her tutorial before I did my stripes. The laser-level idea is genius.

The great thing with painted stripes is that it is just paint. When you grow tired of them, you can just repaint the wall. Keep in mind you may have to sand some before you repaint, but it is much easier than removing wallpaper! To see more on the boys’ room, click HERE.

Go create something!

Are you new to my blog? Go HERE to see my home tour and HERE to shop for items I use in our home.

Find me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

Mudroom Stripes

Adding Stripes to a Wall