Ten minute read

When it comes to using stripes in your home I think the maxim ‘go bold or go home’ is a good one to go by. And by this I mean a wider stripe over a narrow one, particularly if you want to make more of an impact and create a less fussy look.
And this isn’t just because I have a personal preference for a wider stripe, but more to do with the fact that they are generally calmer to look at, as opposed to a narrower stripe with more lines over the same surface area.

Science backs me up on this one too as the more stripes you can see in a smaller area, the more likely they are to induce a migraine if you’re prone to this type of thing. And if we’re really pointing the finger, then it’s the vertical ones who are the real bad boys of the stripe world as horizontal stripes don’t have nearly as much impact on our brains.

So overall the wider and bolder the better, for both clarity within a room design and for balance within our brains.

Striped table cloth and napkins from Summerill & Bishop

That’s not to say that I don’t advocate a bit of full-on stripery from time to time. And is also why I love some of the in-your-face stripes that are around at the moment.
But don’t be put off thinking this will be some type of flash in the pan trend that you wish you hadn’t introduced into your home, as stripes within interiors have been around for a long time. And according to Seb Bishop, the creative director of Summerill & Bishop (who produce a lovely range of striped table linens), “Stripes are an enduring print, not limited by time or trend. They look as good today as they will in five, ten or fifteen years’ time, so for anyone looking to inject pattern and personality into their home, stripes are a no-brainer.”

Somewhere lovely under a sea of blue and white stripes.

And although stripes often conjure up images of holidays abroad in super fashionable mediterranean resorts, they haven’t always been associated with the jet set. In fact up until a few hundred years ago and you wouldn’t want to have been seen anywhere near a stripe, as they were always seen as being associated with people of a ‘low reputation’, with jesters and prison inmates in particular always wearing a striped uniform.
But then something changed in the late 1700’s and both the American and the French Revolutions incorporated stripes into their flags of resistance…with the stripes symbolising unity, rebelliousness and freedom. And hence a change started to slowly come about in how the humble stripe was used.

Painted stripes for a shared kids’ bedroom. Styling by myself, paint by Dulux UK

And so here we find ourselves today with stripes very firmly on the interiors’ map, loved by many and featuring in many homes. But whilst stripes on the wall might not be everyone’s cup of tea, for certain rooms they can work really well.

Where you have an angled roof line like in the attic space above for example, thicker vertical stripes may well be the answer to draw the eye upwards and emphasise the traditionally trickier shape of a converted roof space. Sometimes it’s good to just work with what you have, rather than trying to disguise it.

I also love a thick striped wallpaper in a simple two-colour palette. Again this type of stripe has historical connections after having originated in India and being introduced to the UK during the Regency era (early 1800’s). Named after India’s famous tiger, it is still referred to as a Bengal stripe. Although it might feel overwhelming throughout an entire space, it would work beautifully to accent a corner or an alcove behind shelving for example.

So if after reading all of this you fancy introducing a bolder stripe to your home, here’s a few different ways you could do it.

And whichever striped path you take, I’m sure you’ll be glad you did.

For the love of a bold, wide stripe.

Black is not a colour

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