Whether vertical, horizontal or diagonal, stripes add appeal to otherwise boring rooms. Carefully placed stripes can look elegant. However, too many stripes or too colorful of stripes can have a room looking like a circus tent. Here is a guide on how to decorate with stripes.
Wallpaper
Striped wallpaper looks very grownup in a sitting room or other big room. Depending on the style, it can be used on one wall or all four. Silvery blue or green striped wallpapers are a beautiful touch, especially, if you add crown molding and tall baseboards to the room. Try this aqua and cream wide strip wallpaper. It’s £52.99 per roll at fabricsandpapers.com. If you want understated stripes, try stripes with florals, like this Brewster Wallcovering Striped Floral Wallpaper from Lowes. Its beige background, subtle stripes and flowers compliment a lot of rooms. It costs $53.18 for 56 square feet of paper.
Pillows
Striped throw pillows look nice on a bed or couch. Simply get complimentary colors to your bedding or couch material. You can buy pillows, pillow covers, or make your own covers to go over an old pillow. Try the linen stripe pillow covers at Pottery Barn on sale for $19.00 right now. They come in blue fresca, cranberry, flax, citrus green and cous cous. Another good option is the simply shabby chic cabana stripe pillow. This pair of neutral striped pillows costs $21.99. Purchase them at Target.com.
One Wall
Make a bold statement by decorating one wall with stripes. This is a good idea if you are planning to use a bolder, richer color like red or brown. If you are interested in painting one wall with vibrant stripes, check out this how to article for step-by-step instructions from Better Homes and Gardens.
Matte and Gloss
If you want to keep in the same color family, consider painting wide stripes on your wall. Alternate a glossy and a matte paint in similar tones for a gorgeous outcome. See an example at myhomeideas.com.
Furniture
As long as they have complimentary tones, stripes look great with solids and florals. Transform a room with a striped loveseat, chair or couch. Check out how this room on coastaliving.com looks with crisp striped furniture. Or pick up this sleek suffolk settee from Crate and Barrel. It comes in ivory and pewter stripes, brown stripes or blue stripes. The cost is $1,199.
Remember with stripes, often times, less is more.
Sources:
Jilann Severson How to Paint Stunning Stripes Better Homes and Gardens
12 Ways to Decorate Your Walls myhomeideas.com
