The Case for Stripes

If you’ve been receiving our catalog for any amount of time, you may have noticed that we have an addiction. It’s a shameful thing to admit, but we’re utterly obsessed with stripes. If it were up to us, every room would have a stripe in it. Today, we’re making the case that you need one too. Perhaps in every room!

They’re Perfectly Balanced

Stripes are an eternally classic patterned, and we think it’s because by very nature, they’re balanced. Just think about it, a band of color is balanced by an absence of color. It’s that balance that keeps the stripe on our short list of perfect patterns, and it’s one of the reasons we’re so keen to use it in rooms.

It’s Can Go With Anything

Because stripes are balanced and clean, they can go with anything. We love them next to florals, next to solids, next to graphic patterns. They work beautifully in super traditional rooms. They work beautifully in super modern rooms. They work beautifully in rooms somewhere in between. If you’re looking for something to coordinate with a favorite bedspread, pillow, or chair, there’s a stripe to match!

They Even Go Together

Because there are so many ways to interpret a stripe, you can even pair them together! Take this bedroom from the Southern Living Idea House. Suzanne Kasler used a ticking stripe bedding, pillowcases with a striped band at the end, and a throw pillow in a vintage stripe fabric. It all works together, even though there are several different versions. See what we mean by versatile?

They Can Be Super Subtle

Can you even see the stripe in this space? Suzanne Kasler used her small stripe in sky blue on a vanity stool, and it’s both subtle and elegant. Using solids throughout a room is a great strategy, but every room needs a little pattern. And if you’re hoping to create a really serene space, a small stripe is the perfect choice. It’s elegant, timeless, but feels more special than a solid.

Or Very Bold

Just as you can turn the dial way down and use a small scale stripe, you can turn it up for a really bold effect. Stripes are a great tool for creating a lot of drama, just look how Suzanne Kasler used striped fabric and a striped rug to create a really impactful outdoor room. She used the same striped fabric on pillows and outdoor drapery, then brought in a complementary rug in the same shade of mandarin.

It Can Go On Anything

A stripe can go anywhere. It works just as well on a sofa as it does on a tablecloth. We love it on a bulletin board too. No matter what the piece is, some kind of stripe would look fantastic.

Stripes Can Trick The Eye

In addition to just being a really beautiful pattern, stripes can be a great way to trick the eye. Here, we used a striped outdoor runner, to help this small porch feel long. The stripes draw your eye down this hallway in a way a solid runner could never accomplish. Or perhaps you want to make you ceilings feel higher? Use a vertical striped panel to draw the eye up. Stripes have the natural ability to lengthen, which makes them super handy when you’re wanting to camouflage or emphasis different areas of your home.

So there you have it. Stripes are the perfect pattern, and you need one in every room.

Are you convinced yet?

Find more decorating ideas by visiting our Pinterest boards, or browse rooms from our catalog in our Photo Gallery.

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