Stripes

• 1). Add stripes to a hallway to make the ceiling look taller. Apply painter's tape to the top and bottom of the wall. Mark the distance between the stripes with a yardstick. You can make them equal or different widths.
  
  
• 2). Place painter's tape on the line marks, using the level to keep the lines straight. Crooked lines will give you an undesirable fun-house effect.
  
  
• 3). Paint the wall alternating between colors. If you do not want a blank space between each line where the tape was, wait for the first color to dry. Move the tape over so it is flush with the freshly painted line. Paint with the other color.
  
  

Stencils

• 1). Add a stencil to the wall to make it stand out from other walls in the house. Choose a stencil that fits the design of the house as well as the location of the hallway. For example, if the hallway leads to a child's bedroom, use little animal stencils.
  
  
• 2). Apply painter's tape to any outlets, switches and molding. Paint the wall a solid color. Lightly draw a grid using the yardstick and level.
  
  
• 3). Place the stencil on each drawn intersection and paint over the stencil with the paintbrush. Use a complementary color to the solid color you applied.
  
  
• 4). Erase any remaining pencil lines after the paint has dried. Combine the stripes and stencils to really make the hallway pop.