From the Resene Style Guides - styling ideas for your home
Pattern is a great way to give any surface some real swag, and there’s no easier option than tried and true stripes to give a big tick to both colour and personality. And all with relatively easy execution.
Get the look: Resene Black, Resene Alabaster, Resene Endorphin
Whether your style is traditional or contemporary, stripes have the power to reshape a room depending on how they’re used. They can add a crisp, polished element to pretty much any space. What looks stunning is a mix-up of stripes with solid colour, florals, geometrics, dots, or any other pattern – which means they can be used pretty much anywhere.
Going vertical with your stripes creates an illusion, making ceilings appear higher than they really are, and as the colours become more contrasted the look becomes more powerful. Horizontal stripes are a little more edgy. They can make a room seem more spacious while adding a playful touch, feeling bold, fun and fresh.
Whether you’re using contrasting colours or taking a more subtle tone-on-tone approach, the striped treatment is sure to be noticed. With all that attention, straight lines are a must, so pay attention to planning, preparation and using the right equipment for a fantastic finish.
Get the look (fireplace feature): Resene Black, Resene Alabaster, Resene Endorphin
For a fresh modern look and a burst of brave colour against an otherwise white interior, choose a palette of fun shades that work well with the rest of the room.
Tip: Choose colours for your pattern that already appears in adjacent spaces and accessories, this way your look will be fun but still remain cohesive.
Note: Use special low-tack masking tape – it’s the purple one – from your Resene ColorShop for jobs like this to avoid damaging the paint.
Get the look: various Resene testpots
Get extra playful in kids spaces where you can never have too many stripes.
Tip: Don’t restrict your work to the walls. Floors look just as great patterned up, as does bunk bed linen with a mix-don’t-match approach.
Get the look: Resene Havoc, Resene Pelorus, Resene Floyd, Resene Madang, Resene Alabaster
If straight and level isn’t your strength, try a more obvious free-hand approach.
Tip: You don’t need to paint an entire wall which means you may only need a few Resene testpots to achieve something eye-catching on a smaller scale, like this door.
Get the look: Resene Black, Resene Charlotte, Resene Wild Thing, Resene Silver Chalice
Tip: For another more free-hand look, load a paint roller with your chosen colour, and drag it down the wall to create a series of wide ragged-edged stripes.
Note: Use a plumbline to make sure your stripes are straight, and a marked stick to make sure the stripes are even. Or simply use the width of the masking tape to create your stripes.
Words: LeeAnn Yare. Pictures: Larnie Nicolson.
Resene Style Guides
Styling ideas for your home – how to achieve popular decorating looks with inspirational photos, great advice and paint colour suggestions.
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