Hot trends for 2012 keep popping up all over; from retail spots to home decor blogs I’m seeing fresh ideas everywhere and all I want to do is go home and start decorating. One hot trend that is making a huge statement is stripes. Stripes seem to range from collegiate to nautical to somewhat nostalgic and I can’t get enough. No longer stuck with the standards like navy or red, stripes of all shades are showing their…well…stripes. Here’s a list of pointers and suggestion on how to bring stripes into your own living style.
· Replace worn hand towels with these fresh designs from West Elm. The soft gray tones are complimented by warm yellows to bring your powder room up to date. Thin stripes, wide stripes – there are stripes for all. · Change out your shower curtain to a striped one. If the hand towels have thin stripes than balance it with wide stripes or vice versa. · Be sure to include a new duvet. Remember spring is in the air. Take off that dark cover and add something light and airy. The soft yellows from this West Elm product warm up your room and allow fresh ideas and inspiration. You may never get out of bed. · The stripes and grid patterns on this duvet from CB2 are a throwback to some printed checks I had in college. Remember the 80’s and all the grids? Ok – I do. · Techno stripes cross each other in this set of dishes that drops me into perpendicular madness. Retro yet somehow very hip and now. · Stripes are used so well to balance soft or curvilinear shapes. Let’s say you have a white or light colored throw rug with subtle curvy shapes. Balance those shapes by adding definition and interest with a striped throw tossed casually over the arm of a chair or sofa. Don’t worry – your rug will not fade into nothingness – its character will be brought out by contrasting shapes. · Use striped salad plates on top of stark white dinner plates; and your set doesn’t have to match. Choose a series of striped plates that have a common denominator in the white plate they rest on. · Stripes set against textures are bold and harmonious. Place striped throw pillows alongside nubby textured pillows in solid colors. · Tip: always decorate in odd numbers. For throw pillows or items on a mantel choose odd numbers. Even numbers divide –odd numbers bring together. Five and seven are good numbers. · Don’t forget your pet. Styles and colors for pet collars are in abundance. Look for green or blue stripes for your little guy and maybe orange or coral for the ladies. · I have always felt very strongly that functional items should also be beautiful. With that being said – shouldn’t your storage accessories also be beautiful? These storage baskets from the Container Store bring together the delicate illustrations of toile into harmony with soft stripes in tones of light blue or yellow. · Need bolder stripes for storage? These rugby striped containers would happily cohabitate in a mud room or children’s playroom. · Depending on the tone of the stripe, this design style can be overly masculine or decidedly feminine. It works well in any room and has timeless appeal. Don’t be afraid to mix the stripes up. Bed linens for example– can have wide stripes for the duvet, narrow stripes in a complimentary color for the shams and a solid color that ties both in. · Don’t forget wall décor. An active room such as a family room or kitchen carries stripes very well. Gallery wrapped canvases can be painted in a set of three; for example, blue, green and yellow and placed horizontally on a wall. Or one very large piece in 48×48 with bold stripes mixed in with narrow stripes. Be sure to get everything straight with painters tape and a T-square.