STRIPED ROMAN BLINDS AND WINDOW SHADES

Simple, straightforward and singularly focused - that’s the personality of this universally loved, never-out-of-style pattern - the stripe. But as simple as it might seem to dress a room with striped roman blinds, the fact is that it is easy to land up with an overbearing or underwhelming stripe. For stripes to strike the right chord with your space, there are a few things to keep in mind. Our stylists will throw more light on these simple tricks and also share how striped roman blinds can further your aesthetic goals and decor style. On to their styling advice - 

Pick the Right Direction

The first step when picking a striped fabric for your roman blinds is to discern which orientation of the stripe will suit your settings the best - the vertical or the horizontal. While it is primarily a matter of personal taste, stripes tend to pull the eye in a specific direction, making it essential to ensure that this aspect works in favour of your setting. Optical illusion is the name of the game, and you win if you simply play by the rules.

Vertical stripes make the eye gravitate upward. As a result, one tends to grasp the room's height, making it seem taller than it is. That makes vertical stripes the perfect pick for low-ceiling rooms and short windows. 

Similarly, horizontal stripes direct the eye sideward, making you grasp the horizontal expanse of the room. This makes striped blinds with horizontal stripes more beneficial for small rooms and narrow windows as they trick the mind into believing that the wall/window is much wider than it is. 

Scale with Intention

As with all patterns, stripes need to be scaled proportionally for the size of the room, the window's dimensions and the design intention. If not, the stripes on your blinds might either overshadow the rest of the decor or be completely lost out of sight.

Awning, barcode, roman and bayadere are some examples of stripes that are wide-scaled and commanding on the eye. These look well-proportioned for large rooms and overwide windows but well-avoided in space-challenged rooms and small windows as they can visually shrink them further and highlight their smallness.

Banker, bengal, breton, pin and candy stripes are some examples of thin stripes which tend to be visually less intrusive as they are diminutive in scale. These are suitable candidates for small rooms and windows where they can add visual interest without going overboard. Whereas, in large rooms, they tend to go out of sight unless observed from a closer range, defeating the very purpose of adding patterns to any space.

Besides the dimensions of the room and the window, one other thing that serves as a parameter for the decision to go wide or narrow is the purpose of adding a striped blind. Is it to add a subtle element of attraction or to become the focal point of the room? If the idea is to create only a marginal impact, a narrow striped blind may still be suitable for a large room. Similarly, if you intend to create a centrepiece in a small room, a bolder stripe will help, but be cautioned that it can overwhelm the space instantly. So, if you amp up the scale, be mindful of balancing it with a muted palette or resort to a medium scale.

Choose a Palette in Tandem with the Scale

The colours of the stripes work hand in hand with their scale. When both are on the high, you have a default focal point, an imposing piece that will make its presence felt instantly. Consider a wide-striped red and white blind like Jeffer Valley. Its bold palette, deep contrast and large scale make it a magnet of attraction. On the contrary, if both scale and palette are moderate, you get a gentler piece that attracts attention ever so softly. Like, our beige-white pin stripe Iruya Pearl, for example, which will complement other patterns and showpieces in the room rather than dominate the scene.

A moderate way of doing it is to follow a high-low policy. If the scale is high, go low on the palette and vice versa, as is true of our Upbeat blinds’ narrow red stripes and Forest Dove blinds’ wide grey stripes.

Also, note that the colour alone is not the game changer, the finish also matters. A somewhat smudgy or faded-out stripe will not be as impactful as straight-edged saturated ones whose silhouettes are more defined. Compare the yellow-striped April Sun and Bayonne who despite sharing almost the same palette are not at par in their visual impact for this reason.

Similarly, the degree of contrast has to be attended to. A black and white stripe will assuredly be more compelling than a cream and white stripe, for example.

So, to conclude, if you are looking for a showstopper feature, go for a bolder palette, deeper contrast and refined finish. And, if you want an ordinary feat, prefer muted colours, subtler contrast and blurred or washed-out finish.

Capitalise on the Versatility

Both professional designers and decor enthusiasts would unanimously agree that if a pattern could be awarded an Oscar for unparalleled versatility, it would be none other than the multi-talented stripes.  Here’s why -

Stripes have existed for almost as long as weaving itself, making them staples in rustic decor. But, their simplified versions find favour in modern homes that look for a clean-lined aesthetic. So, regardless of what era your architecture and decor style relates to, striped roman blinds look equally at home.

Secondly, stripes play perfect companions to curvy patterns like florals by offering visual contrast. But patterns like checks, plaids and modern geometrics also look up to stripes to complement their sharp-lined beauty. So, no matter what patterns reign in a space currently, your striped blinds will chime in without second thought.

Finally, they are best friends with solid colours too. In a decor style that does not appreciate the bustle of patterns or in a small room where pattern play is consciously avoided to evade a cluttered appeal, demure stripes still find relevance and acceptance. They break the monotony of plains, offer subtle interest to the space, and very wisely steer clear of a busy visual appeal with their neat lines. 

So, whether you’re a traditionalist or modernist, pattern-obsessed or pattern-phobic, stripes are going to be your most reliable and flexible go-to design elements. And that’s why they get all the votes for the most versatile and timeless pattern. No doubt, the selection of the right kind of stripe is key to attaining the goal.

Top Up the Edginess of a Man Cave

While there is a plethora of patterns that relate to feminine decor, there are a handful like stripes, checks and geometric patterns that read masculine. Therefore, as in wardrobes, so in dens, men and stripes are inseparable. 

Consider dark straight-edged stripes as in our Highway Inferno’s slate grey double stripes accented by red and white for a strong contrast. Or, Crossbars’ stone grey and black awning stripes whose boldness can speak emphatically to the ruggedness of the man cave.

Age-Proof a Nursery/Kid’s Room 

Stripes offer a timeless elegance to nurseries and kids’ rooms. Unlike plain blinds that can look a bit boring in such a youthful space and busy patterned shades that can be overwhelming for a toy-flooded room, stripes offer the perfect bit of visual interest without the bustle. 

The trick is to look for soft colours and subtle contrasts that are soothing to the eye. Like, Frostbell’s beige-white candy stripes that look ever so gentle or the slightly more playful herringbone stripe blind like Ziggy. And, if you’re eager to add a pop of colour, consider one like Sahara Showers that brings gleeful bits of blues and yellows for a peppy overtone.

Unlike age-specific patterns that will have to be swapped for new ones as your tot becomes a toddler, striped blinds can be a permanent, age-proof addition to a kid’s room. 

End the Inertia of a Modern Minimalist Home

While modern minimalism is all about evading busy-looking patterns and loud colours, there is always room for subtle details and motifs. The clean silhouettes of stripes sync with the refinement of modern homes without resorting to embellishments and complexity.

If you are a bit tired of the plain neutrals and tone-on-tone contrasts, freshen up your home with a striped blind like Electric Bravo whose narrow grey-white stripes are a better alternative to plain grey blinds when in want of some character. Or, if you’re ready for a full-on approach, consider a punchy one like the black and white chevron stripes of Bourbon.

Try all the Flavours Before Fixing the Menu

Those who assume that stripes are all too plain and simplistic must be ready for surprises at The White Window. Here, you see tasteful fusions, tweaked versions and creative innovations that cater to a variety of decor styles and preferences. So, our stripes are not just straight lines running miles on parallel tracks. They also come with a bit of tang and spice.

Appease your cosmopolitan taste with striped blinds that incorporate eclectic flavours. Such as our Deep Sunset kilim print blinds or Cloud Grass ikat print blinds that go to another end of the globe for aesthetic inspiration. 

If you like the idea of momentum but would wish for more details, consider a blind like Aqua Foam which is an amalgam of the honeycomb motif and stripes. And, if you ever wondered whether a masculine motif like stripes could ever be incorporated into a feminine space without looking too rustic, Barbie Chic’s bold pink stripes should be enough to rest the doubt.

In Closing

That’s the world of stripes for you - versatile, timeless and many-faceted. Call them to idyllic spots for adding soft elegance, or to men’s dens to offer sophistication, stripes are ever ready to doff the hats. You can let them break the monopoly of plains with gentle whispers, blend them into a pattern fest with lilting refrains or create a dramatic focal point with jazzy riffs. The White Window welcomes you to take advantage of the immense creative potential of striped roman blinds to make your spaces more elegant and refined.