How To Use Stripes - My 7 Tips
Thick or thin, vertical or horizontal -- stripes are timeless. But not only that. Strategically placed stripes can be a great tool in interior design as well.
Thick or thin, vertical or horizontal, subtle or bold -- stripes are timeless. But not only that. Strategically placed stripes can be a great tool in interior design as well. Here are several ways of using stripes to your advantage.
1. Lots of houses have long narrow hallways. One of the tricks to make those hallways not so narrow, is to put a striped rug on the floor. Thick stripes that run across will create an illusion of a not so cramped space. Especially if the stripes are bright and bold.
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The same trick works for a galley kitchen as well. Here is a great example:
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2. If your ceilings are not as high as you would like them to be, stripes will make your wish for higher ceilings come true without raising the roof or breaking the bank.
Simple striped curtains placed close to the ceiling will instantly make the ceiling look higher.
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Another option is to place vertical stripes on the wall.
3. If your ceiling is too high and you would like to make the space feel more cozy, you can use curtains with horizontal stripes to do just that. In this photo the designer placed the contrasting light blue stripe to create an illusion of the lower ceiling. The navy blue fabric at the top blends in with the walls and disappears, so the eye stops right at the contrasting band.
curtainscolors.com
4. Not every home is blessed with big windows. Wide horizontal stripes on the curtains will help if your windows are too narrow and you would like them to look wider. (To make a bigger impact, let the hardware extend past the window by 10-12 inches.)
thisoldhouse.com
6. Of course, stripes can be used to create an accent wall or to fill in an empty space. In this photo Sarah Richardson used contrasting blue stripes of different widths and shades to create an attractive wall gallery. Also, notice how a white molding strip is used to visually lower the ceiling.
7. Finally, striped upholstery pieces can be both classic and elegant, as well as whimsical and fun. If you want a chair or a sofa to stand out, by all means use bold striped fabric. If you are after a more classic look, use more subdued or tone on tone stripes. Here are some examples.
