Stripes show up everywhere from our country’s flag to fashion, from walls to floors, from food to mother nature.  Every design style can benefit from the use of stripes because they pair so well with florals, big graphics, small ginghams and geometrics.  The easy to remember rule of thumb when using stripes as discussed in an earlier post is to make sure the scale (size) of the stripe is different than the other fabric, i.e. if you’re using a big floral, use a narrow stripe.   How about checking out the good, the bad and the ugly in stripes?

STRIPES ON WALLS

Here's drama - a striped bathroom wall only for the bold.

Even when I don’t like a room, I look for something to use / adapt / inspire.  The  inspiration I can find in the photo above is that the chair fabric plays well against the stripes and the different stripe widths make for a really interesting treatment.  It would certainly wake you up in the mornings, huh?

A more subtle treatment of wall stripes.

As I browsed through my photo archives I found this example…..just like the bold stripes in the first picture, taking the idea of several colors in several widths but in calmer tones and, to me, a much more livable solution.

Bold stripes and pattern in a bedroom.

Bold stripes on the wall, another type of stripes on the bedding, stripes on the pillows…Wow!  This room demonstrates you don’t always need a bedroom to be calm and restful.  And that sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.  Compare that to the photo below – still a great wall stripe but lots of things contribute to a calmer effect:  softer colors, wider stripes are less busy, the bedding is not patterned and even the horizontal stripe curtain works because of it’s scale and that it’s muted (except the one darker stripe).

A calmer bedroom stripe

One last stripe wall treatment.  Whoever painted the room below was letting their creativity shine.  Remember the paint treatment of circles I suggested in a previous post?  Here’s another play on that idea.

STRIPES ON FURNITURE – A GOOD THING?

 Bold stripes on these chairs flanking a fireplace reinforce the focal point of the room.  Notice how the ottoman in between the chairs introduces a very organic pattern in contrast to the stripes.  The photo below is a dining room chair I had recovered for a client.  The stripe plays a much more subtle, but still important role.

A dining chair I had recovered for a client (photo by Terrie P)

This beautiful striped sofa would definitely be an eye-catcher.

You know how designers and books and magazines always encourage you to buy the bigger pieces of furniture in a solid neutral color so they’ll last forever in case you change design styles?  Sometimes it’s good to fly in the face of convention.  This classic shape sofa is full of great style.  Made by Johnson & Osborne, UK, the quality is in the details.  However, if you’re going to use stripes on a piece of upholstered furniture, they absolutely MUST match – from the cushions to the base to the curves of the arms.  If the stripes are off even a little, keep looking.

From French Furniture Company

Sometimes a novelty piece of casegoods is easier to use than an upholstered piece of furniture.  Try using a chest like this in an entry hall, at the end of a hallway, in a dining room or even a bedroom.  Talk about personality!  The smaller chest below has a more seaside or maybe country cottage look both in shape and color.  In fact, doesn’t it look like it could be a DIY project to refurbish a flea market find?  And how about using it in a bathroom for extra storage?

As pictured in Country Living.

Finally, I’ve collected a series of random stripe goodies – in case you’re not convinced of the loveliness of stripe-dom.  Just to enjoy……

Stripes on the floor - photo from Better Homes & Gardens

Stripey pillows from Pottery Barn

Bright, summery outdoor stripes - Designers Guild

Subtle and classic, navy and white stripes are timeless - Coastal Living

Even kids love a stripe - designed by Sabrina Soto, HGTV

Kid sized chair & ottoman in bold stripes from YourLittleSweetpea.com

Maybe too many stripes?? From sweetpeagallery.com

Drapery panels available in lots of colorways from Smith+Noble.

This one "takes the cake" for masterful use of stripes. By Jena D Events

 The original idea for this post was to show outlandish applications of stripes in a variety of rooms.  It evolved to be more of a contrast & compare article, showing that stripes can be bold and over the top or subtle and oh-so-elegant.  Whimsical or classic.  Wide or narrow.  If you have no stripes in your home, maybe it’s time to reconsider and try this design element chameleon.

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