Office Makeover: Getting the perfect stripes
My husband has been working from home since Covid, first in Australia and now in France. He’s the type who never wants or needs anything, always content with the bare minimum. So when I suggested making his office nicer, he was quick to dismiss it, saying it was “fine.” It was not fine. The room was dark, colorless, and a sad place to spend 7-8 hours a day, especially since he starts work at 6 am due to the time zone difference.
Last week, while he was out of town, I decided to surprise him by transforming his office. We’ve always been “ocean people,” with homes steps from the beach & reflecting that aesthetic in our home. But with our recent move, even though we are only 20 minutes from the ocean, I wanted something more sophisticated and chic for the new house. So I thought keeping his beach-chic vibe in his office would be perfect. Inspired by the trendy boutique Hotel de Silhouette in Biarritz, I set out to recreate that atmosphere in his office.
Love the bright colors and use of multiple patterns
Chic, great use of texture, vibrant colors, and
I decided to add some color by painting stripes—sounds simple, right? Well, it turned out to be more of a process than I expected. I thought I was being smart by using a laser level to get perfect vertical lines, but it just complicated things. The laser was great for horizontal lines, but as soon as I tried taping, I’d block the light. After a frustrating hour (or two), I ditched it and went back to basics with a measuring tape, doing each stripe by hand. Below are my tried and tested steps, making the mistakes so you don’t have to!
Steps:
Apply the Base Coat:
Ensure the entire wall is painted with the base color and completely dry before starting the stripe process. I taped out all of my trim and ceiling beforehand using Scotch Blue tape.
2. Measure and Mark Your Stripes:
Starting from the top or bottom of the wall, measure and mark where you want your stripes to begin.
For a 10 cm stripe, measure 10 cm from the edge or previous stripe and mark lightly with a pencil.
Continue marking at regular intervals down the length of the wall.
3. Use a Level to Draw Lines:
Using a level, connect your pencil marks to draw straight horizontal lines across the wall. This will be the guide for placing your painter's tape.
Apply Painter's Tape:
Carefully apply painter's tape along the outside edge of your pencil lines.
Place the tape on the side of the line that will remain the base color, so that the area to be painted with the new color is exposed.
**Pro Tip- make sure you are placing your tape on the correct side of the 10cm mark. Because you are covering the base coat it will look like you are doing bigger stripes with one color.
Ensure the tape is pressed down firmly to avoid paint bleeding underneath. I used a credit card to to help ensure there were no air bubbles and it was lying flat.
Paint the Stripes:
Using a brush or roller, paint the exposed areas with your new color. Be careful to avoid excessive paint that might seep under the tape.
Depending on your paint, you might need more than one coat.
Remove the Tape:
While the paint is still slightly wet (not fully dry), carefully remove the painter's tape to reveal crisp, clean lines.
If you wait until the paint is fully dry, the tape might pull off some of the paint with it… like I did.
Tips:
Always use high-quality painter's tape to avoid bleed-through. Like Scotch Tape or Frog Tape.
For best results, make sure the tape is applied smoothly without wrinkles.
Consider testing the technique on a small area first if you're new to painting stripes. But let’s be real, once you have finally placed your stripes, you’ll most likely just got for it!
Products needed:
Step ladder: https://amzn.to/4d0qSIU - This one even has a removable project tray, great for your painter’s tray or paint can!
Scotch Painters Tape: https://amzn.to/4dPIWGz
Frog Tape: https://amzn.to/3z69B2O
Paint brushes and Tray starter pack: https://amzn.to/3AQNe22 This is great because you will need the smaller brushes for the trim areas and the roller brushes are great for the walls.
Paint roller extension: https://amzn.to/4g8orqj Perfect to add pressure and get the most of your paint and keep it looking smooth.
Paint: Your local hardware store should have the colors you are looking for but if you are looking for a more bespoke color you can try a few of these spots:
Farrow & Ball - https://www.farrow-ball.com/us/
Blime, a French brand - https://blime.co/
Good luck and let me know how it has worked for you!! Please note that I do earn a commission from my recommended products if you use the links above. This is at no extra cost to you!
