Variations of a Strie'

Variations of a Strie’ by Contributor Kristin DeMarco
Stride is a faux finishing glaze technique that adds depth and texture to a room. It gives the walls character and sophistication. It originates from the French word meaning "stripe" or "streak".
Strié is a technique that can be varied in many ways. The surface can be taped off and made to look like wall paper covering or a parchment square grid pattern. The Strie’ technique can be done by combing horizontal and vertical strokes to create a “linen” or “grass cloth” look. This same technique can be done to produce a “denim” finish when using shades of blue. Other interesting variations of a strie’ are wood grain and basket weave patterns.


To get the strie' effect, the walls are painted a base color that will subtlety show though the finished texture. Next, a glaze is mixed with the top paint color and rolled over the entire surface. It is best to work in small sections when applying the glaze mixture. Lastly, use a hard bristle brush or steel wool to create the finishing strokes over the wall surface. The strokes may be horizontal or vertical or a cross hatching.

The strie’ creates a very beautiful texture that can even be the base for a stencil or mural painting. The Strie’ technique takes practice, but the end result is always stunning!
Design Dazzle Contributor Kristin DeMarco

How To Paint An Argyle Wall

Madelyn Ridgeway is awesome! She and her hubby painted their sons bedroom wall with an argyle pattern and she emailed me the directions for our readers! I'm loving this wall - can't wait to see the finished room! Here's the sweater vest that was the inspiration for the room.

Madelyn:

"I originally painted the room grey in anticipation of a little girl’s grey and lavender room only to find out I was having a boy. Although I was disappointed at first, I found this sweater and was instantly smitten by it and used it to design the nursery around. One of the best things about the inspiration is that it had grey in it because we didn’t want to re-paint the room again if we could help it.







Directions:



1. Paint the base coat of paint on the wall and let it dry completely.

2. Next I figured out how many rows of diamonds I wanted. We decided on 4 rows but wish we had done 3 instead just for personal preference.

3. Using the calculator given on Silver Spoon Murals, I figured the measurements of each row and column.

4. Once you have calculated the width and height of your diamonds it is time to draw your lines vertically down the wall where your diamonds will be. Measure the width of each diamond and using your level (I used a laser level), draw a straight line the exact width of the diamond all the way down the wall vertically. Keep going until all vertical lines are drawn. I marked my lines using a chalk line so I wouldn’t have to worry about erasing the lines. You can adjust the width of the diamonds slightly, but don’t adjust the height.

5. Draw horizontal lines the height of your diamond the entire length of the wall (again, I used the chalk line). Now you should basically have a bunch of rectangles on the wall.

6. Find the middle of each rectangle and mark the top, bottom, right and left side. Then connect the dots by drawing lines to form your diamond pattern. Keep in mind that all these lines will have to be erased at some point if you are using pencil, so you may not want to make too dark a line with your pencil. Chalk, however will wipe off easily with a baby or clorox wipe. It is possible to connect the dots with tape without drawing lines but I didn’t want to risk messing up so again, I used chalk. If you do not feel confident, DRAW THE LINES that will form your diamond. Don't attempt to tape all the way down your wall in one line as it is impossible to keep the tape straight enough on the wall without a partner, and even then, it may be difficult. Rather, tear off a piece of tape just long enough to cover each side of your diamond.

7. Once the diamonds are all taped off, you paint them. I painted alternating rows since I was using the same colors for the entire column however the website directions direct you slightly differently.

8. Bleeding may be a problem when taping the diamonds I suggest using a flat end trowel or your finger nail to run down the side of the tape of each diamond . This usually prevents any paint from bleeding through. If you still manage to bleed through the tape, you can always go back with an angled artist brush (available at craft stores) and steady hands to touch up the bleeds.





9. To mark the diagonal lines, we measured the center of each diamond diagonal for a diagonal row. This may sound confusing so I’ll try to explain better with an example. For the first diagonal strip I marked the center point of the diagonal for row 1 diamond 1, row 2 diamond 2, row 3 diamond 3 and so on until I completed one diagonal row. I did this for all the diagonal rows until I had created diagonal lines for each diamond. I once again used chalk lines to mark the diagonal stripes.





10. I used a make- your-own stencil kit I purchased from Hobby Lobby to make a dash stencil. For the dashes I found a ready made rectangle shape I found in the art department of Hobby Lobby as a template. I decided on the spacing I preferred for the dashes and made a comprised of a stencil of dashes.





11. After completing the stencil, I put painters tape on each side (you’ll need to periodically change the tape to make sure it will stick to the wall) of the stencil and placed the stencil directly over the center of each line - using a stencil brush, I stenciled the dashes on! Go over each diagonal line until all are completed. I went back over with a painters brush and touched up any dashes that may have been inconsistent because of bleeds.





Update:  Directions step-by-step - how-to paint an argyle wall.



If you have any questions, leave a comment. Madelyn mentioned she would be happy to answer any questions! Thanks for sharing such a detailed project!

Wednesdays - What Color is That??

It's a block party! Add color and excitement to your plain walls by creating squares in complementary colors. You do not need to be a Picasso to paint these walls. The Neapolitan colors: Bistro White 7006-4, Chantarelle MS096, Macaroni MS089, and Silk Kimono MS011 from the Martha Stewart Colors. Photos and instructions from Lowes.

To paint the squares - you'll need painter's tape, a measuring stick, and four coordinating paint colors for this project. First, measure the height and width of your walls. Subtract 5 inches from the height (to allow for the five 1-inch rows of painter's tape), and divide this number by four to determine the dimension for the squares. Then use painter's tape to create a grid pattern on the wall. Apply a coat of paint to each square, and allow to dry. Tip: Before painting the squares, draw your grid on paper, and write in the colors that you plan to use in each block.

Before and After - Ugly to Beautiful

Last weeks post I featured a charming vintage room designed by Raissa. I mentioned I would be posting before and after photos of the furniture she painted. Well - here are the photos with impressive results! It's amazing what you can do with ugly furniture to make it beautiful!

BEFORE:

AFTER:
BEFORE:
AFTER:


Raissa: The furniture was purchased as a set on craigslist for $75. It was mahogany beyond repair. I primed it, painted it white, rubbed on the Sherwin Williams Cay (paint color), let that dry, then sanded it, then dry brushed some more of the blue... the pulls were metal which I spray painted white and sanded. To read last weeks post and view more photos of this darling vintage room.

How to Paint Trees in a Kids Room

Tracy from Petite Suites paints really cool trees. When it comes to painting a room, Tracy does a great job. You'll be inspired to create some fun and whimsy in your kids room. Below are photos and tips she has shared with our readers.


I am the owner of Petite Suites (www.petitesuite.net). I specialize in painting/designing nurseries and children’s rooms. My most popular request is “trees”. Because trees are a natural form, they are easy to paint.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
1. First decide the placement and shape (asymmetrical, etc.) of your tree. Most clients request I paint the tree asymmetrical, above crib or bed.
2. Start with the tree trunk, then branches. Make sure you step back about 4 to 5 feet while painting. Trees may look great close up but stepping away helps with the balance of tree.
3. Add leaves and/or floral blooms. Don’t be afraid to overlap leaves with branches.
4. Add rhinestones to give your tree sparkle and whimsical flare!

Circus Nursery

Cool ceiling and wall stripes in this circus baby nursery! The artist did a terrific job creating the look of a circus tent with paint! I like the way the artwork is centered on the white stripes. The bold red and orange furniture and accents work well in this room. Depending on the look of your nursery, modern or classic, here's elephant and giraffe artwork that would look lovely hanging in the baby nursery.

Wall Mural Headboard

Great idea! Love this mural painted to look like a headboard. Place bed in front of the mural to create the headboard look. Sweet addition to a kids room with endless possibilities. Mural painted by the talented Leigh Watson.