I decided this past winter that our 3/4, first floor bathroom just wasn’t doing anything for me. It felt dark and uninviting. Ultimately, I decided to stripe all of the walls with the light blue/grey color we have throughout the rest of our house. What a difference a little paint and a lot of patience can make! Here is how to paint stripes in a bathroom. 
Base Coat of Paint
I painted three coats of white to start with a blank canvas. After sampling a few different shades, I decided on Sherwin Williams Simply White. As you can see, I was painting over a darker color, which is why it took three coats to cover it.
Cutting in along the ceiling was difficult because the ceilings are high and it required wrangling a large ladder into this small space. I knew right then that the top stripe was going to be white, so I didn’t have to worry about cutting in again.
Measuring and Painting the Stripes
I decided to go with 10-inch stripes, measuring and working from the top down. As you can see, there are a lot of small walls and angles in this space. This project took me several hours, over several days to complete. Good thing I love the result! I measured 10-inches down, made a mark, and used a large level to draw a line across each wall. Using Frog Tape to tape off the lines, I painted two coats, then ripped the tape off when the paint was still wet.
After one wall was complete, I would move along to the next wall, started taping, and repeated the process. I used the completed stripes from the adjacent wall as my starting off point (so I didn’t have to remeasure the 10-inches every time). Sorry if this is confusing, I’m still not sure how I got these to look straight myself!
I read online that a good way to secure your tape and get a straight edge is to put a small amount of paint on a paintbrush and lightly brush over the edge of the tape before rolling the stripes. This really worked in my case, and I would definitely recommend taking the time to do this extra little step.
The trickiest part was getting behind the vanity and trying to keep the lines straight. A short level came in handy for this.
The blue/grey paint I used for the stripes is Big Chill by Sherwin Williams. This is the color throughout our house, but it presents itself very grey in this small bathroom, which doesn’t get any natural light.
Plans for the Bathroom
I am now happy with the walls, but I am itching to paint or replace the vanity and the mirror. The vanity is just not my taste but it is a nice piece that came with the house. I think if I painted it and added new hardware I could grow to like it. The dark mirror and vanity are just not doing it for me, so I am on the hunt for a mirror replacement too. For now, this bathroom got a major makeover for the cost of the white paint (the blue/grey paint was leftover from the build) and the Frog Tape!
2024 UPDATE: Click here to see what this bathroom looks like now! 
This was a project that required a lot of patience! In the end, I am so happy I challenged myself and went for it. I hope this helped with how to paint stripes in a bathroom. This room looks much more like “us”, which is what projects for me are all about!
Those walls are looking gorgeous. We are moving into a new home and I'm trying to find a wall to "stripesize" 🙂
Gaby- I would stripe every wall in the house if my hubby would let me! 🙂
love that! it totally works, and adds a modern flair with that more ornate sink.
Yes, that is what I was hoping until I can figure out what to do with that vanity!
I wanted to invite you to the Friday Flash Blog Party, the best linky in town! I hope you'll join us and link up. Who knows. You may just get highlighted!
The party goes on ALL weekend.
Jennifer @ The Jenny Evolution
http://www.thejennyevolution.com
I love large grey and white stripes! They are so pretty and they make the bathroom look more open! Nice job!
Wow I really like how this looks! The stripes are a subtle enough color that they don't take over yet they provide a great design and background. Love your bathroom vanity! I can imagine it was a hard job- lucky you it turned out so perfect!
Thanks Liz!
Gorgeous, I love it. I would love for you to link up to my Inspire Me party that will go live this afternoon. http://www.astrollthrulife.net Hope to see you there. Hugs, Marty
Love the color of the grey stripe! You have way more patience than I, I would not want to tackle all those corners! You did a fabulous job!
I'm so impressed that they're all so straight! Thanks for sharing on The DIY'ers.
Thanks Kayla for hosting!!
I love the shade of colours you've used for the stripes. I think they make a really big impact in a small room too. Looks fantastic, you should be very proud 🙂
Thanks Michelle!
Great job! Looks wonderful!
This is a great look! I am thinking of doing the same in my dining room. Is the trim in your bathroom also Simply White? Just curious because I'm going to use a gray and white also but have been wondering if the white paint needs to be the same as my trim. Again, great job! I've been a follower of yours for a couple of years!
Brenda – The trim color is actually SW Alabaster (throughout the house). Alabaster is a bit more creamy, and the simply white is just that, more white. I actually wanted there to be a contrast between the two, but I think having the trim be simply white works just as well!! Hope this helps!
You did an amazing job! I absolutely LOVE the colors you chose. Thank you for sharing!
Eliza @ lizalouloves.blogspot.com
Thanks Eliza!!!
Absolutely love the stripes. You did an amazing job. I will be featuring this tonight at my Fall into Fall party that opens at 8pm EST. Please stop by and pick up an I've Been Featured button. Thanks.
Thanks Judy! You made my day…thanks for the feature!! xo