How to Redo your Entry Way for $6.00

If you follow me on Pinterest you know that I have a slight obsession with Horizon Stripes….not wearing them so much, BUT rather horizon stripes in home design.  There’s just something about them that looks so current and yet classic at the same time.  They can inject a little personality into your space and make it look very well thought out.

Well, I’ve been itching to do a home update for a while, but am trying to save my house budget for a bigger project down the road.  So what’s a girl to do?  Rummage though the gallons of paint in her basement of course!

Long story short, a little rummaging, a little pinteresting, a little YouTubing, and I was settled.  Horizontal Stripes belonged in my Entry Way! And at present, I kind of have a crush on my Entry Way.  So, if you are longing to fall in love with your space again…walk with me, talk with me…

First things first, you want to measure your wall height from the base of the crown molding (if you’re so lucky to have it) to the top of your base board.  Then divide that number by the width you’d like your stripes to be.  Standard Stripes are between 11’’-13’’.  I made mine just over 11 inches to get an even number of stripes.

Now comes the measuring and taping.  Definitely the most tedious part of the process, so I recruited the cute guy that lives in my house for a little help 😉 Chris held the laser level (good guesses Instagram & Facebook Friends!)

while I drew the lines with a pencil.

If you don’t have a laser level, you can still tackle this project with a standard level, it’ll just take a little longer.

Once you are done with your penciling you’re ready to tape.  For this project I used Frog Tape. Which was $6 at Target and the only out of pocket expense for this little project.  It was my first time using it, and let me tell you, I am a fan for life!  I’ll tell you why in a minute, but for now here’s a tip to learn from my mistakes:

 YOU DON’T WANT TO TAPE OVER YOUR PENCIL MARKS!

This seems extremely obvious, however, that concept was lost on me that Saturday afternoon and I taped right over top of them.  No worries, I Magic Erasered those lines into extinction after the tape came off 😉 Anyways…just make sure you’re either taping right above or right below the line (depending on if it’s the one you’re painting OR if it’s the one you’re leaving the existing color.)

See Exhibit A of Chris doing it the RIGHT way 🙂

OK, next and probably the most important: take a credit card and smooth down your tape!  This will prevent any bleed through as well as what we, in the biz, call “warbly” lines. It’s a real thing.  Look it up.

Alright,  you’re all taped and ready to paint, which ironically is the fastest part of this process.

The original color on the wall is called “Thunder Bay” by Ralph Lauren, which sadly they DO NOT sell at Home Depot anymore. 🙁 The accent stripe is actually my leftover trim paint called “Edwardian Linen” also by Ralph Lauren.  And because it was originally trim paint it’s a semi-gloss, which ended up being a fun contrast to the Satin base of the Thunder Bay.

Our stripes went on nicely with two coats and then all there was to do was wait for the inevitable…How much touch up paint will we have to do once the tape comes off?

(Cue dramatic Law and Order music)

Weeeeelll, remember the Frog Tape I’m loving?  There’s a reason for that.  Upon taking off said Frog Tape and holding my breath…NO Bleed Through!  At all, not even one little line!  I know!  I may or may not have burst into song at this point.  The world will never know.  So, here you go kids, the finished product.

(A little “hello” from my Copy-cat Pottery Barn Clock Wall)

And you know what, I love it even more than I thought I would!

To finish the space off, I added last years outdoor pillows & my FREE DIY side table from this post:

It’s the finishing touches that really bring a space together, you know? 🙂

Ok guys final tip.  Whenever you’re painting with light colors, always wear black socks.  A. you’ll keep a sense of humor about you if you’re painting in shorts and B. you can see if you’ve stepped in any paint before you go tracking it all over your house.  Hope you’re feeling inspired, Happy D.I.Y.ing!

Until Next Time,

Meg

*This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions are 110% ours 🙂

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