Striped Ceiling!

Like I said back in the sun room post, I got very ambitious with the ceiling and I wanted a "wow factor!" I looked around at different blogs for "how tos" and there are things I liked and didn't like when doing the project. I will walk you through the basic steps and give you pointers that really helped us conquer this work of art... OK, it's no Michelangelo, but it's still pretty amazing!

To start, you will need to paint your ceiling your base color; in our case it was white. Painting a ceiling can be exhausting, so be patient and make sure to have drop cloths below you. Getting the roller brush extensions definitely help and have a small ladder handy. Next, you need to measure the width of your ceiling. Think about how big you want the stripes - remember, the smaller they are, the more you have to do. We tried to find the width that would get us an even look with the stripes (The one on the end had a 1/2" extra, but nothing noticeable). Then you want to make marks on the ends of the ceiling in order to know where you'll start the tape. Do this on both sides of the ceiling and measure carefully, so they'll match up. Now the next part is very important...tape! Finding good tape was the hardest part of this project and almost ruined it. We got the Frog Tape because it was supposed to be easy to take off - wouldn't even stick. Blue tape would stick, but then would pucker as we painted (even tried painting on top of the tape to secure it - big mess). I tried calling Lowe's and the guy told me nothing would stick, so I should give up. Um....sir aren't you supposed to make DIY dreams come true! My mom told me to call Sherwin Williams instead. That guy told me about this magical lime green extra stick tape:

Stripe life saver!

If you are going to paint stripes - this stuff is the key to success! One thing to keep in mind, it is extra stick so make sure you are not planning on leaving it on the surface for more than the day. Now that you have your fabulous tape, you need to have a partner help you put the tape up. Decide whether you are taping on the inside or outside of the pencil marking - helps keep the fighting with each other to a minimum! Then with each of you on a side, pull the tape as tight as you can and stick it. If it's crooked, you'll be able to tell because the tape will bump. I suggest pressing the tape on with a credit card edge or something similar to make sure edges are stuck. We did two stripes at a time, especially the first time, when you want to make sure it works - no point in taping the whole thing if you have a last second change of heart.

Once the tape is on, you can start painting! Using a roller and an edger were the best painting tools. If you don't make the stripes wide enough for a normal roller, you can get the smaller kinds.  For the edges, make sure you tape across the wall below and we suggest using a paint brush to paint along those edges. Worst stripe is the one against the wall - avoid if possible! Be patient and take your time. If you go too quick, you'll slip up.

Important Note: If your paint drips, wipe it up towards that color. I won't mention names, but the other person who lives in this house dripped a little black paint on the white wall. Instead of wiping up towards the black, he wiped it down the white wall - no bueno!

Looking good - we approved!

You'll start to have more faith in your project once you get a couple stripes accomplished! You can remove the tape soon after painting (just make sure you don't want any other coats!) because then the lines will peel off cleaner. Don't worry if they aren't perfect; people will be too amazed of your ambition to notice!

What kicked our stripe ceiling up another level, was the chandelier I ordered. It added that touch of elegant character I so badly wanted. It was a find from PB Teen - which has good sales and Teen is more affordable, plus the designs are more fun! This particular one is no longer available, but they have other chandeliers I adore:http://www.pbteen.com/shop/lighting/chandeliers-pendant-lighting/?cm_sp=SupCatHero-_-lighting-Supercat-_-Chandliers

I truly think doing the stripe ceiling made my sun room and it makes me smile every time I go in there. We get compliments on it constantly, which makes the pain and frustration worth it. I would definitely suggest booking a massage appointment as a reward for all your hard work. Now go out and stripe something!

Lots of Love,