Striped upholstery fabric is one of those perennial classics that never goes out of fashion. Bringing a sense of structure and sophistication to furniture, stripes team effortlessly with all manner of designs, from bold prints to textural plains. Vertical stripes are good for lending a tailored feel to sofas while horizontal stripes can help emphasise the scale of a piece. Read on to find out how furniture is wearing its stripes this season…
How to update your furniture for 2023
Be brave with bold stripes
An arresting striped upholstery fabric is a brilliant way to bring a new lease of life to a piece of furniture, and what better way to do this than with a luxurious striped velvet fabric? The versatile blanket-style design of Hi Ho Silver in Navy emphasises the clean lines of this armchair and looks fabulous teamed with inky blue panelled walls. A bold design that works equally well in modern and traditional schemes.
Informal stripes are in demand
Informal striped fabrics are having a moment, reflecting an increased desire for interiors that exude a relaxed, uplifting feel. The fresh linen stripe on this sofa, Garden Gate in Strawberry Mousse, nicely captures the aesthetic, and teams beautifully with different prints that share the same easy-going style. Lovely for country homes and informal townhouses alike.
Striped fabrics never date
Stripes have a timeless quality that makes them perfect for all manner of interiors, and this design, Hester in Grey, incorporates a traditional oak-leaf pattern that adds to its enduring appeal. The printed linen is perfect for upholstery and also wonderful for curtains, where the vertical stripe serves to accentuate the height of the window.
Opt for horizontal or vertical stripes depending on your space
As a general rule, horizontal stripes can help give furniture a sense of width (useful for exaggerating the scale of sofas or armchairs in a room, for example), while vertical stripes will give a feeling of height (this trick also comes in handy with curtains, where a vertical stripe will draw the eye up to the ceiling). Here, our stylish woven wool striped fabric, Peru in Bubblegum, is a great choice for giving a pair of slipper chairs a nicely tailored feel; its palette beautifully echoes the colours in the painting.
Go for a subtle stripe in busy spaces
If you have a lot going on in a scheme, a subtle stripe is a fantastic way to counteract lively patterns whilst creating a pulled-together look. A tonal striped fabric such as our woven Bressay Stripe in Kilmory brings a tailored feel to upholstery and is smart without making too much of a statement. Also have a look at Nevada, a broad jacquard stripe that lends understated elegance to a space.
Incorporate trending colours in your chosen striped upholstery fabric
From duck egg to aqua, calming blues are one of the key colour trends for 2023, and a wonderful way to show off this soothing shade is with a graceful striped upholstery fabric. Our Fortune Teller stripe in Cornflower features a delicate pattern that lends itself well to comfortable sofas. Layer it with small scale patterns in similar colours for a soothing effect.
Mix patterns for a modern feel
Stripes can look fantastic combined with other patterns, as witnessed in this scheme where our Fortune Teller linen stripe in Flurry and Honey colours is mixed with a pretty trailing print for the sofa, Magic Lantern in Mineral. Another stripe – Croquet in Violane – appears on the table. The trick to the success of this scheme is that all the prints share similar painterly styles and are united by their colour palette of blues and saffron yellows.
A highly versatile decorating tool, a striped fabric can elevate upholstery and lend a sense of cohesion to a scheme. The range of styles is vast, so there is a stripe for every scheme, from chic traditional designs to pretty playful versions. We hope your sofas and armchairs enjoy sporting their stripes…
FAQs
Are pinstripes still in fashion? The pinstripe – a stripe featuring very thin lines – is an enduring classic. Use it for a smart, subtle effect on furniture, tying the stripe in with other colours in the space.