Stripes, Leather-like Finish

Stripes, either wide or narrow, add elegance and sophistication to any interior. Whether they are vertical, horizontal or even diagonal, stripes provide a "trompe l'oeil" effect that changes the perspective of your room. With a little patience and a ruler, you will add style to your interior... at an affordable price. To help choose the colours that will most suit your interior, refer to the Paint Café-approved brands'colour system and browse through their new Harmony Collection for the latest in colour trends.

Step 1 — Preparation

• If necessary, clean surface with TSP for better paint adhesion. Patch all holes and remove all peeling paint. For new surfaces that have never been previously painted, prime with Prime Time Duo Primer sealer/Undercoater 1140-05.

Step 2 — Base Colour

• Using a roller, apply a Paint Café-approved velvet finish latex paint #P115-31 "Pumpkin Pie" as a base colour. Allow 6 to 8 hours to dry. Be sure to test your colours and technique on a practice board first.

Step 3 — Texture

• Mix enough glaze for the entire project. In a plastic container, blend 3 parts Mascarade glaze to 1 part velvet finish latex paint, colour #A223-12 "Cream of Tomato". Pour into a pan. Dip rag into the tinted glaze and wring out well. Scrunch your cloth and, working in approximately 60 cm x 60 cm irregular sections, lightly dab the wall, reducing the amount of pressure near the edges and keeping a wet edge so that you create an invisible joint between sections.
  
  

• The glaze allows for an open time of approximately 15 minutes. As the rag begins to dry, change the way it is folded and continue constantly rotating in your hand to vary the design. Repeat the process until you cover the entire wall. When the first coat is completely dry, you can repeat the application steps by ragging a second coat of glaze until you obtain the desired effect.
  
  
• Allow 24 hours to dry.

Step 4 — Masking

• Using a level and a pencil, mark vertical 15 cm wide bands, allowing a distance of approximately 25 cm between each band.
  
  
• Then, using the marks as a guide, apply tacking tape outside each side of the bands you wish to rag the glaze on. Press tape firmly to prevent paint from running under the tape.

Step 5 — Finishing Texture

• Prepare a new glaze mixture using colour #B225-22 "Acadia" and repeat step 3 on the unmasked areas. Remove tape as soon as you finish applying the glaze on these areas so that tape does not peel paint off.
  
  
• Allow 24 hours to dry.