Striped Painting Ideas for a Young Girl in an Adult Bedroom

Colors and Shades

• When painting stripes, you can use as many colors as you want, but more than two might make the room look too busy. Instead, ask your daughter what her favorite colors are and look for shades that complement one another. For example, you might not want to use hot pink and dark purple together, but a soft pink base color paired with deep purple stripes could work well. If your daughter isn’t a fan of “girly” colors, opt for blues and greens or pair red or orange stripes on white walls.

Direction and Width

• Once you decide on your colors, you need to figure out which way you want the stripes to go, as well as how wide you want them to be. Vertical stripes can make a room look taller, which could be a good option for a room with low ceilings, while horizontal stripes can help make a room with high ceilings look more in proportion. You can also get creative with the width and number of your stripes. You might make them all the same width and distance apart from one another, or you could add variety by placing a wider stripe beside a thinner one. This last technique would work well if your daughter wants to use three colors -- use one color as the base, one for the wide stripes and the third for the thin stripes.

Finishing Touches

• When the stripes are in place, that doesn’t mean the decorating has to be done. You can add further personality to the walls by helping your daughter paint polka dots within one color of the stripes. You could also buy stamps in the shapes of stars, flowers, fish or your daughter’s object of choice and use a complementary color to stamp the shapes within the stripes. Sponging a third color along one shade of stripes could also give texture to the walls and add further visual interest.

Other Tips

• When painting stripes, you should apply a base coat of one color and allow it to dry completely before you begin painting the stripes. Measuring the length and height of the walls can help you decide what type of stripes you want to paint, as well as how wide you want them to be. Marking the walls with pencil and using painter’s tape to section off the stripes can help you create clean, even lines and make your daughter’s room look its best.