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.
Sam & Jacci says
Man o man. That looks soooo smooth, you guys. Seriously – I absolutely LOVE IT. Instant interest :)
Jules says
This looks amazing! I absolutely love it. :)
Leslie says
Ummm, that looks amazing. Wow. It changes the look of that bathroom completely, and it looks incredible. I have to say, I’m so bummed y’all didn’t win the contest! It was so close, and you totally had the best project! I would’ve loved to see what you guys could do with an unexpected $5000. Oh well- next time!
Katie says
Your half bath looks fabulous!!! Good work guys. Can’t wait to check it out in person. :)
Lynnie says
This is just gorgeous. Great job (as usual) you guys!
Julia says
I am shocked at how such a simple paint job transforms your bathroom! I love it and it photographs beautifully!! This might be an idea for my boring and white master bath!
Lena says
Love the transformation!
Laura says
I achieved a similar effect using a different sheen of the same color that was on my wall. My wall was flat paint and the stripes were eggshell. It was subtle and beautiful.
Barbara says
Love the stripes. I used stripes like these in my foyer…only they are yellow (to match my sofa) and beige. I think it gave a once blah space more of a wow factor.
[email protected] says
Looks amazing! I’m doing the same thing in my half bath thanks to you! Any pointers one tackling the toilet? Meaning, do you paint behind it?
Much LOVE!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jamie,
We did continue the stripes behind our toilet since we could reach thanks to our short handled angled brush (stay tuned for a post about it soon). It’s our secret to getting into tight spaces. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Gillian says
STUNNING! :) By the way how do we add the photo to our comments? I remember you said you wanted to put a face to a name….
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Gillian,
Here’s a post about getting your pic up with your comment: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/03/bloggy-bonuses/
xo,
s
gesikah says
Gorgeous! The Husband and I have been thinking about doing something similar in our office, this just might have been the tipping point.
court says
wowza!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!
courtney says
ooh, it looks so great!!!! i’m crazy about stripes lately too!
Michelle Kay says
I painted stripes in my son’s room before he was born. I alternated a flat paint and a semi gloss in the same color. The difference between flat and semi gloss is enough to look like two different colors. I have a hard time picking paint colors, so this was my foolproof way to paint stripes without it looking too busy. In fact, it looks so good that I have to fight the urge to paint stripes in every room =)
Jess says
That looks so swanky! Love it…oh and love that I just picked up that same soap dispenser over the weekend. What great taste we both have, haha.
Stephanie says
I love it. I did the same thing in my guest bathroom last summer. But instead of using 2 different colors, I used the same color but with two different finishes (flat and glossy). It’s amazing the difference a finish makes. I made sure the glossy stripe was the one near the sink. It looks great. Subtle, yet fresh. So much better than 1 color.
The Lil Bee says
I love this and it’s making me rethink our idea to paint our downstairs bathroom dark blue. How do you feel about painting small rooms dark colors? I normally love it, but the bathroom is just off our front living room, which is a khaki color, and I don’t know if it’s too much of a jump. I read one of your posts about how your house was a million different colors when you first moved in and it reminded me of our house. It was, literally, everything from bright orange to apple green to mustard yellow. CRAZY! I haven’t gotten to all of the rooms yet, but the ones I have painted are all neutrals…olive branch, buttercream yellow, metropolitan gray. I need to settle on a color for the room off of our family room (the metropolitan gray room), and could see this striped pattern working well there, too.
Oh the stress of picking paint colors!!
YoungHouseLove says
Lil Bee,
We’ve recently seen a small navy bathroom and LOVED IT! But you’re right about it being a bit jarring when the other rooms are light and neutral, especially if it’s right off of your front living room. It’s really all about how your house will flow (are there other places that the dark blue color can be repeated, like in pillows in the front living room?). We love the tighter paint palette that we have going on in our house now because everything feels more open and there seems like there’s a method to our paint madness (for example, the blue-gray tone in the bedroom is also repeated in our kitchen) so things feel like they flow. A dark paint color in a small room can really be dramatic and lovely but it’s nice if it’s not a complete departure from the rest of your home’s decor (so bringing that color around in other rooms will make it feel more connected to the rest of the house). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
bungalowbliss says
I so love this…it looks so beachy and light and fresh. Such a simple idea that totally packs a punch. Nice job!
Kristina says
Shery, LOVE the bathroom! What a fantastic job y’all did. I want to steal it in a few months (thinking August) for our bathroom. The only thing is our hallway is white (a very white white) so I’m afraid cream will clash horribly. We have brown tile in the shower, a white waffle knit shower curtain, white medicine cabinets with frosted glass, a white porcelain sink with a dark brown vanity, and our pillows are powder blue. There’s tiny brown, cream, and tan tiles connecting the sink to the wall and I was thinking of pulling colors from there for the stripes (cream and beige, beige and tan…) Should we stay away from the darker colors? Would cream clash our very white hallway (the color is Polar Bear by Behr)? Thanks!
Kristina says
Agh, Sherry, not Shery. The tile in the shower area is actually tan (ish). And I meant our TOWELS are powdery blue. No pillows in our bathroom.
The Lil Bee says
That definitely does help, thank you. And I think I’m going to opt for the light colors. Our upstairs bedrooms are olive and buttercream, and I pulled that together with the curtain in our bathroom, which has both those colors and then some. But I really want our downstairs to flow, like you’re saying. So light it is! I’ll send you some before-and-afters when we finally complete the project. THANK YOU!!
Paula says
Thank you so much for the inspiration! I just finished my half bath this week and I am loving the results.
http://richpageant.typepad.com/paulawessells/
Julie says
Do you guys recommend a certain paint finish for the walls throughout the house or different? I had heard semi-gloss for bathrooms, but I’m regretting that now…I had heard sation throughout other rooms but I like the eggshell I’ve also tried…
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Julie,
We use semi-gloss in our kitchen and bathrooms and flat paint everywhere else (except for semi-gloss on the trim throughout the house). It’s definitely the most durable and wipe-able paint for bathrooms and kitchens, although eggshell also works better than flat (with a bit less durability and wipe-ability). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Libby says
Sooo cute! hey do you think it would be too overwhelming to do this in my hallway and entryway? It would be visible thoughout the entire house. Hmmmm.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Libby,
Not at all, as long as you keep the colors close enough it will be subtle and chic. Stay tuned for pics from a reader who striped her bedroom…
xo,
s
Liston says
Hi guys! I must say, you have great taste. As I am in the middle of redecorating the bedrooms in our house, we have been having quite a bit of issues as we have plaster walls with a good deal of texture. I had originally planned on doing stripes but now seeing how messy our lines are between the walls and trim, I’m not so sure that it will work well. Any ideas as to how to get the clean lines on textured walls?
Thanks!!!
Liston
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Liston,
I would just suggest really running your finger along your painters tape extremely firmly a few times before painting. It will help the tape stick to every peak and valley on your textured walls so the line looks as crisp and can be. Also choosing colors that are subtle will help it to look a lot less imperfect (for example, you can use the same color paint in two different finishes (like flat and semi-gloss) for a stunning result. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Houda says
Hi Guys,
I love love what you’ve done-i’m actually thinking of doing that this weekend. I’ve just got one question, my whole room needs a lick of paint so, should i paint it first then do the stripes with another color the following day?
H.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Houda,
I would actually paint it first and then wait about five days just to be sure the paint has fully cured (to avoid ripping off some of that fresh paint when you remove the painter’s tape after completing the stripes). I’d even wait a bit longer if it’s particularly humid in your area. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Phil says
It looks great!! I’ve been considering doing something like this in my full bath. I’m just not sure if it is too modern for a bungalow.
Michelle says
I have a tip to add! We just did a complete paint job, including stripes, in our new baby room. We painted the whole room green, but wanted pink stripes. Well, on some advice from the Home Depot lady, here’s what we did.
– Paint whole room. (and let dry, maybe a day)
– Tape off the stripes as you said above.
– Go BACK over the blue painter’s tape with green paint, sealing the tape and making ANY “bleeding” happen as green-on-green.
– Paint pink stripes and peel.
I would’ve never thought of the “sealing the tape” part, but now it makes perfect sense. Otherwise we sometimes get spotty edges. From now on we’re doing that whenever possible when using paint, including white along ceilings or trim (if we’re too lazy to cut in neatly).
Hope that helps someone!
Jody J says
I love this bathroom with the stripes! I plan on recreating this look in our entryway, however I’m unable to find the chandelier at Urban Outfitters anymore, have you guys seen anything similar to the one you guys have. I love the look of it, very beautiful but not over the top!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, maybe try ebay? It was called the “teardrop chandelier” so I’d start out searching that term. You could also search “Urban Outfitters chandelier” to see if the exact one is listed. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kate says
Hi! I just found your blog the other day and I have to say I LOVE what you guys have done with your place and I really really love the stripes. I was looking for painting ideas for an accent wall (well two accent walls) in my apartment.
We have an angled wall that our tv sits in front of in the lliving room and the dining room has two walls and is open to the living room. Do you think it would look weird to do this on two accent walls? I wanted something kind of subtle that wouldn’t overwhelm our place (it’s only 1000 sqft) but still wanted to kind of have a little bit of real, grown up design.
Also, the walls have kind of a texture to them…Would it be weird to do stripes over the texture?
I appreciate your advice and love the blog :D
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kate,
So glad you found us! I think if you used super subtle paint colors it wouldn’t be weird at all to have the stripes on two accent walls! You could even use the same paint color in a semi-gloss and a flat finish so you get a striped sheen effect that’s really posh. As for doing the striping treatment on walls with a bit of texture, scroll back up through the comments to find a super helpful tip from one of our readers about using clear caulk. It’s the secret to a perfectly straight line on a textured surface! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Isela says
Just realized you don’t have any window treatments in your bathrooms in these pictures…..do you still have nothing on your windows?? I’m just trying to find something, since we have very close neighbors and I was looking at your bathrooms for ideas….thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! We have enough privacy to avoid window treatments altogether, but for privacy we like a chic frosted look (and you can pick up frosting film at places like Home Depot on a dime). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Teesha says
Hi Sherry,
Gotta a question – I’m ready to paint my upstairs bathroom and because it’s the “shower” area, I am planning to paint it with a semi-gloss or kitchen/bath paint color. However, there is an accent wall that I’d like to stripe but it’s an eggshell finish. In my readings, I have learned that you should paint with a flat paint first, then stripe with a different finish to avoid cracking. What is your thought?
YoungHouseLove says
Nope! We striped with semi-gloss right over semi-gloss and it’s great, so feel free to go with that eggshell. It should be fab. Good luck!
xo,
s
Gail says
Sherry and John,
I’m tackling your inspirational stripes project in my teeny-tiny half-bath this week. I have a quick question: Since it’s so important to remove the tape while the paint is still wet, do you wait for the first coat of stripe paint to fully dry before painting a second? I don’t want to risk any fuzzy edges after all that taping! :) Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Gail,
We definitely didn’t stand around at all between coats, but we found by the time we worked our way up the wall with stripes the bottom ones were ready for their second coat (not totally dry of course but dry enough for the second coat). It seemed to work well in our tiny back so here’s hoping it’s the perfect timing for yours too! Good luck!
xo,
s
Kevin says
We’re about to try your stripe technique on our half-bath. We’re curious what color you painted your ceiling? White or the lighter of your two stripe colors?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kevin,
We were pretty simple and just left the ceiling plain white, but Sherry actually wants to go back in and repaint the ceiling the color of the lighter stripe – that way it’s not three different paint colors in there, just two. So it sounds like you may be one step ahead of us. Good luck with your stripe painting!
-John
Nicole says
Quick question.. my hubs and I just started this project in our master bath. We have taped everything off but are beginning to feel that the stripes in our somewhat large bath are making it seems smaller. Do you feel the layout of the bathroom may actually make a difference with this painting style? Our bathroom is long (I figured it would make it longer). Thanks, Nicole
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Nicole,
As long as the colors of the stripes are relatively low contrast it should really be more of a soft texture than something that makes the room feel smaller. In fact, experts day that subtle horizontal stripes can actually make a room feel wider and more expansive. In our bathroom, it’s a tiny room and we knew nothing would really make it look giant so we liked the soft interest and layered texture that the cream on cream stripes added. And of course when you tape things off it looks crazy because the tape is so high contrast and stripey. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Elle S. says
Hey guys,
I have a weird question for ya(well, weird to me). So my husband comes home the other day and tells me that one of his co-workers (who also just recently bought a house) told him: “You need to lightly sand your walls before you do any painting or else the paint won’t stick”. He also said: “Don’t buy any of that crappy paint from Home Depot or Lowe’s, and especially NOT Behr- it sucks”. Is this guy totally bonkers or is he giving my hubby sound home-renovating advice? To me, this sounds crazy, and I told my husband as much! I’ve never heard of anyone sanding their walls before painting! As for Behr paint, I’ve heard/read nothing but rave reviews. Also, if you don’t get paint from Home Depot or Lowe’s, where else would you go to get it? Please help!
(OK, so maybe that was more than one question, but I’m desperate for answers!)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Elle S,
With all due respect to your husband’s co-worker, he does sound a bit bonkers. We’ve heard about lightly wiping your walls with a damp cloth (to remove dust and cobwebs) or priming to prep them to be painted (especially if you’re going from a dark to a light color), but never sanding. That sounds like crazy talk to us. And we’ve painted our entire house with paints from Lowe’s and Home Depot, so we certainly don’t agree with his other assessment. True, paints from private retailers like Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore can have better coverage than the Behr’s, Valspars and Gliddens out there but we’ve always been happy using a little bit more elbow grease to get a good coat over dishing out more cash. Hope that helps counteract some of the other advice you’ve gotten.
-John
Elle S. says
Hi John,
Thank you SO much for clearing that up for me! I knew I could count on you and Sherry to straighten that out. Any advice on how to get my husband to stop listening to his co-workers and to start trusting his wife when it comes to home renovating? ;-)
Lisa says
Is there a width that you wouldn’t get larger than or smaller than for a stripe? (I figured that’s the easier way to answer the question, can you ever have too many or too few stripes on a wall).
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lisa,
Good question! I would say that unless you have a very tall ceiling I would keep your stripes smaller than 24″ each. And even in a room with regular height ceilings, I would keep them larger than about 6″. That way there won’t be too few or too many to get that simple clean-lined layered and textured look. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Christina says
I’m toying around with the idea of painting stripes in our spare bathroom, but would like to use a light gray color. Do you have any suggestions of paint brand/color. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Christina,
Hmm, you might want to try Benjamin Moore’s Horizon along with a cool white color (the soft gray and the white will look subtle and sophisticated together). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
rohitha says
Hey guys,
I really liked the horizontal stripes especially the colors,i want to do it in my half bath,but teh problem is my bathroom has a vaulted ceiling and it has many odd angles.So I was wondering if it would still be ok to do the stripes on teh lateral walls while leaving te ceiling with all the angles white?Also there is no ventilation and hence no light at all in my bathroon,but i really loved the colors u used,so whta do you think i can do about it?Can I go ahead n do the same color palette?
I would really appreciate ur advice.i need some serious design advice here.
Cheers:-)
Rohitha
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Rohitha,
Doing the stripes on the lateral walls and leaving the angled ceiling white sounds like the perfect solution! And since the colors of the stripes are so soft and subtle they won’t darken your room so it will look great. Just be sure to use semi-gloss paint so it’s wipe-able since you don’t have ventilation in there (you’ll want walls tht you can scrub down). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Holly says
I have painted stripes in the past, and am considering it
again in my guest bathroom (a full bath). I had been
advised that after you tape it off you should paint your
lighter wall color first along the edge of the paint to
seal it off and prevent bleeding through. Then paint the
darker color. Seems to work and make a straighter line.
My biggest problem is picking colors for fear they will
be trendy.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Holly,
We have also heard about the paint-the-wall-color-against-the-tape-first trick so it definitely should work out for you. And as for picking colors, good luck! We think subtle differences in tone are a bit less in-your-face so they might last a bit longer without looking trendy. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Paula says
This is fabulous! Amazing to think someone could get such a high-end look with so little cash outlay. Great imagination, great idea, great work! …. and you two must either have a fine eye or the patience of the gods to get that taping lined up so nice and straight. Absolutely lovely!
Angela says
Love the stripes. Please tell me how you worked around the toilet!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Angela,
We love a short-handled angled brush like this for trim, cutting in, and tight spots like behind the toilet. Worked like a charm!
xo,
s
Anna says
Hello! I love this look. I recently bought a condo and would like to try this out. You used Honeymilk for the lighter stripes but what color did you use for the darker stripes? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
The darker stripes were just the original wall color: Wishes by Glidden. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Abbie says
FANTABULOUS! We just bought our first house as well and are so excited to try this in our mouse-sized 1/2 bath! Thanks for the great tips!
Michelle says
I love the stripes in the bathroom! I think we might like to try that too in our hall bathroom. Currently it is an old lady faux finish yellow. Would these stripes work with textured walls? The edges always seen to look frayed. Any ideas?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Michelle,
This question has actually come up quite a bit already so if you scroll back through the comments you can find many solutions (we like the idea of using clear caulk once you tape the stripes to keep the paint from bleeding since the wall is textured- then you just paint and pull the tape). Feel free to scroll back for more details and solutions. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sara says
okay so I’m doing my room in a light blue “sea breeze” and a tan. I want my room to look as large as possible though. Should I do 2 walls blue and 2 walls tan? Or stripes? or blue on top and tan on bottom?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Sara,
If you want the room to look super huge the best way to accomplish that is to paint all the walls one color (and use the other color as an accent for curtains, pillows, art, etc) so the corners fall away and the room feels more expansive (painting two walls one color and two the other color will have the opposite effect and will in effect split the room in half). You could also do stripes which really make a room feel wide and spacious but keeping the colors extremely close (tone on tone, like tan with cream or light blue with an even lighter blue) will have more of that effect (higher contrast stripes don’t feel as breezy and open). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lauren says
Sherry-
I’d like to paint our master bathroom with stripes like these and I plan on painting the master bedroom (which is attached) a blue-greyish color. Two questions for you: Do you think beadboarding and the stripes would be too busy? Do you think the stripes (using similar colors as yours) would clash with the blue walls in the master? I’ve also thought about doing blue stripes in the bathroom to coordinate with the blue in the master, but would that be too matchy-matchy in your opinion? (Ok that’s three questions. :) )
YoungHouseLove says
Good news! The colors we used for the stripes are so neutral and subtle that they’ll look great with your bedroom’s blue-gray walls and also with the beadboarding in the bathroom. You could also do blue stripes to tie everything together but they might be too high contrast (and therefore too busy) for the beadboard walls. They also might feel a bit too matchy-matchy so something lighter and more neutral might be the way to go for a nice visual break along with some openness in the smaller room (the bathroom). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
liz tsang says
hi john & sherry!
thank you so much for this idea. i have to admit i still have paint on my hands and in my hair as i type this – i just finished painting a wall in our master bedroom with subtle light green stripes based on this post. i loved the pics of your bathroom and you totally inspired me! the paint hasn’t yet dried, nothing is hung on the wall, and the furniture’s not returned yet, but i had to write and thank you… i actually teared-up a little (i know, gag) after i pulled the tape off – i’ve never had such a pretty room before! i’d love to send a pic (how do i do that?).
liz (& james) tsang
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the sweet note Liz! You just made our day. We’re so glad your stripe project came out so well and we can’t wait to see it! On our sidebar you’ll see a button that says “Click here to contact the Youngsters” and that’ll take you to a page that shows you how to email us! Hope it helps. And congrats again on your pretty striped master bedroom wall!
xo,
s