Stripes Will Never Go out of Style—Here’s the Correct Way to Decorate with Them

Playing with patterns is a skill practiced and honed by interior designers, and there’s one staple that’s always on-trend: stripes. Horizontal or vertical, wide or narrow, colorful or monochromatic, there are dozens of interpretations of the perennial favorite pattern.

“Stripes are so classic, but also add so much fun,” says Ashley Clark of sKout Interiors in Costa Mesa, California. “I love stripes with more stripes, and I love stripes with other patterns. I think of them almost as a neutral that can really work with anything.”

Below, ideas from Clark and three other interior designers on how to bring stripes into virtually any space.

1. Match Your Style with Your Ideal Stripe

“The beauty of stripes is that they’re versatile and timeless, working across all design styles, from traditional to contemporary,” says Liad Schwartz of Interiors with Liad. “It all comes down to scale, direction, and color palette.”

Christine Markatos Lowe of Christine Markatos Design in Santa Monica, California, agrees, adding that she gravitates toward more color in traditional and coastal homes, and goes for monochromatic styles in contemporary homes.

Ryan Garvin Photography

2. Pair Stripes with Organic Patterns

Perhaps the most intimidating idea yet: mixing patterns in your home. Here’s an approachable recipe, courtesy of Vyanca Soto of Market Studio Interiors in Fullerton, California:

“The secret is in contrast and cohesion,” she says. “Pair stripes with organic patterns, like florals, block prints, or abstract motifs, to create a sense of movement and balance. Vary the scale and weight of the patterns so they don’t compete. For example, a thin ticking stripe looks beautiful alongside a bold ikat or a large-scale botanical. Keep the color palette tight and intentional, that’s what makes the mix feel curated, not chaotic.”

3. Use Stripes in Bigger Doses

Schwartz finds that most people tend to use stripes in smaller doses, like decorative pillows, but encourages his clients to take them further. For instance, he recommends bringing stripes into your drapery. “Striped curtains instantly add interest and rhythm to a space,” he says.

4. Get an Accent Chair or Sofa Upholstered

Another “big dose” way to incorporate stripes? All of the experts we polled agreed that upholstery and stripes go together like peanut butter and jelly. Markatos Lowe is partial to multicolored stripes on a sofa (“It packs a graphic punch!” she says), and Soto suggests them on accent chairs or Roman shades—particularly in a breakfast nook or study.

With the previous note on scale in mind, Markatos Lowe has a bonus tip for upholstery: If you want to mix stripes with other patterns, consider scale. “If you have a big, wide stripe on your sofa, select a smaller-scale geometric to offset it for your chairs and keep your palette more tonal,” she says. “This helps to keep all the patterns balanced.”

Ryan Garvin Photography

5. Take Stripes to New Heights with Ceiling Wallpaper

Both Soto and Schwartz have set their sights on ceilings for stripes. Wallpapered (Clark’s go-to is Farrow & Ball’s Closet Stripe) or painted, it’s a unique spot that pops in any room.

“It’s completely underrated, it draws the eye upward, and adds architectural interest in a way that feels both unexpected and refined,” Soto says.

Manolo Langis

6. Create a Striped Pattern with Tile

“You can get creative with tile layouts in a bathroom, using stripes to introduce both structure and playfulness,” Schwartz says. 

Markatos Lowe did just that with a half-wall paneling of rectangular tiles in various shades of blue. One of her favorite projects to date, she said it made the walls read like wallpaper.

Clark calls tile her “secret weapon for injecting personality,” and that’s evidenced by this kids’ bathroom renovation with stripes running from the floors to the shower wall.

Ready for a foray into the trend? Clark says you can start small with the Piglet in Bed Atlantic Pembroke Stripe Linen Blend Duvet Cover, Tekla Terry Towel in Coastal Stripes, or the Quiet Town Ojai Pine bath runner.

We only recommend things we love. If you buy something through our site, we might earn a commission.