Hi Andrew,
I tried to do a striped faux finish at home but I had a lot of trouble with the tape for the lines. First, it didn’t stick very well and then, when I pulled it off, it pulled the paint as well. I also couldn’t get a straight line. This is a mess. Help!
-Kim
Sorry to hear that, Kim. If you are doing any faux finish that requires tape, it has to be Scotch Blue. Trust me on this one! Scotch Blue Tape will allow you to create perfect lines and will not pull the paint off the walls.
As for your faux finish, I love stripes. A whole room or even an accent wall of stripes can add a tremendous amount of depth and drama to a space. Here’s how it’s done:
First, you need to decide how wide your stripes will be. I like to measure off 30-centimetre spaces. Next, you will need a thumbtack and a chalk line. Measure off every 30 centimetres and mark each space at the top of your wall with a pencil. Push the thumbtack into the marking. Then, tie your chalk line string to the tack. I usually just wrap it around a few times to make sure that the chalk line reaches the baseboard. Once the chalk line is straight, place your thumb on the line near the bottom of the string and pull the string below your thumb, making the line tight. Then snap it! You will now have a straight blue line on your wall.
Finally, place the tape just to the side of the line and make sure you can wipe it off after you finish taping. Repeat this process around your room or simply on one accent wall. When you complete your stripes, simply remove the tape from your walls when the paint is dry and voila! A perfect stripe!
Some more tips to achieve a great stripe finish:
1. After you paint your walls, choose your stripe colour from the same swatch as the wall colour. I like to choose a colour that is one or two shades darker or lighter.
2. If you want an elegant look, try applying a sheen stripe instead of choosing a colour. Paint your walls using a flat finish and apply a clear gloss for your stripe. I have used this technique often in my presentations and it always looks amazing.
Good luck!
IMAGES COURTESY OF SHERWIN-WILLIAMS
