STRIPED FLOORS

A smart stripe – whether wide or narrow – is a classic pattern that will visually elongate and widen a room, just as floorboards do. Striped floor coverings began to be introduced into homes about 10 years ago in a rather tentative way when the first collections arrived on the market.

Appreciated for their dirt-defying nature, stripes were initially confined to high-traffic areas, such as stairs, but their appeal is now spreading. Taking inspiration from the fabric world where stripes are everywhere, flooring has now caught up and offers a far greater choice of designs than ever before.

Today, the floor is increasingly being used as the ‘fifth wall’ and pattern gives a room instant character and vitality. Brightly coloured striped floors provide an opportunity to inject colour and set contrasts.

Striped carpeting on stairs makes a design statement as soon as you enter a house, but it needn’t be limited to this area. More people are finding the confidence to play with different breadths and scales throughout the house, from broad to ticking and pencil stripes.

Wall-to-wall broad stripes work well in living rooms and people are much more willing to experiment with breadth and scale. You can layer elements on top to soften the look, while still maintaining a bright and colourful feel to the space.

Children’s bedrooms are another great space for wall-to-wall striped floors. This pattern reflects the fun and energy of young people

– we even have a bit of neon in one of our designs, which is proving extremely popular.

For a more sophisticated look, there’s always the option of having a two-tone pinstripe carpet, which gives a more tailored look to a room – this works well in a study, for example.