Stripes, Dots, and Accent Walls: Add Style With Paint

Freshly painted walls brighten and modernize rooms, but some homeowners feel bored by an endless swath of a single color. Pittsburgh painted wall stripes and dots, or the addition of another shade on an accent wall, can add interest without the commitment to a wallpaper pattern. Here are some guidelines to help you decide what would work for your home.

Select Your Stripes

Endless design options exist with stripes. The paint colors can either include different tones of the same color or use contrasting colors. Stripes can run diagonally, vertically, or horizontally, and be thin, thick, or varied in width.

Thicker stripes work well with casual interiors and formal rooms benefit from thinner stripes. Horizontal stripes can make a room seem longer, and vertical striping adds height to the room. Stripes also pair well with other patterns. A striped room may often have floral fabrics, dot or geometric shapes, or other decorative elements without looking overdone.

Use caution with thin stripes because they can become overwhelming if used on every wall of a room. Wide stripes may have less impact in a small room. However, one wide stripe used as a background behind framed art can help draw attention to the artwork. Stripes painted on half a wall, either below or above a chair rail, add style without a commitment to a full room of the pattern.  

Design With Dots

Polka dots have the unique potential to look playful and cute or to add elegance to a room. Large polka dots in bold primary colors against white walls add whimsy to a child’s room. Bring some classic style to a sitting room or a bedroom with small navy or black dots on a cream or white wall.

Dot designs have a wide array of possibilities. The color, the size, and where the spots go on the wall will all affect the outcome. Homeowners worried about the look can cut circles out from wall decal blanks to use as a guide. Try various dot sizes with removable wall decals and apply them in different patterns. Leave the successful design in place to show to the painters.

Dots also work well with other patterns in the room. Using both dots and stripes on a wall may not appeal to everyone, but striped curtains with dotted walls look modern and stylish. Floral patterns also often pair nicely with dots.    

Accentuate With Accents

A lone wall with a different appearance from the other walls in the room can help to break up a monotone look and draw attention to the area. Accent walls often get a coat of paint that coordinates with the color used on the rest of the walls. However, accent walls can also include design elements like stripes and dots or use wallpaper rather than paint.

Accent walls help to draw attention to features in the room, like a fireplace, or to bring color into a room that may seem a little boring without the accent. Some design experts have called the trend outdated, but many homeowners continue to request the look from their painters and designers or do it for themselves.

An accent wall can also exist temporarily. A single painted wall allows people to try out a shade they like but are not ready to commit to throughout the room. The homeowner can live with the paint for a few weeks and decide if they want to do all the walls in the shade, leave the accent wall, or go for something different.  

The perfect design can include tiny polka dots throughout the home or a single color in every room. Whatever look the owner likes best is the best look for the home. At Fagan Painting LLC, we offer advice, but we do not want to tell you how to decorate your home. Our team just makes certain that your Pittsburgh painted wall stripes, dots, and accent walls gets done right. Call us today for more information.