This Charming House

I painted stripes down the hall this weekend.   It was my big project and here it is!

I have to apologize because I know it's hard to see.  It was meant to be, like most things in my house, subtle. 

I have been seeing these types of stripes in numerous home decorating blogs and magazines for quite some time, most recently in this month's excellent issue of Lonny.  However, a few years ago I saw something on HGTV where this lady had painted a broad horizontal stripe down her hall using the same color paint in different sheens.  So that's what I did here.  I used "Tuscan Beige" by Behr.  The wall is a satin finish and the stripe is a high gloss. 

I really liked the way it came out.  I drew it out on paper first, to see how I wanted to go and I ended up with five stripes.  I left 24 inches at the bottom and then masked off an 18 inch stripe.  I left 12 inches between and them and then did another 18 inch stripe.  It ended up being balanced but not symmetrical, which I think made it seem really fresh and modern. I also really like the way my photos look against it. 

If you're planning on doing this, you need a pencil, some good painter's tape, a laser level and some patience.  I have to say, though, that it wasn't too hard to do, especially given my limited amount of 'handiness".