Striped design: formal rigor becomes a decorative pretext

7 October 2021

A geometric element capable of bringing order and direction, the stripe can become a recurring motif of interesting and elegant decorative patterns. Declined in a different way by designers, it lends itself to giving life to discreet or lively surfaces, monochromatic or kaleidoscopic. It is the primal element of every design, of every textile texture, of every material section. Everything starts from the line and perhaps this is the reason why we are attracted and reassured by it at the same time, but also conquered when it marries creativity, color.

A striped piece of furniture is a passpartout that gives personality and order to the environment. Less binding than an irregular design, it takes on different characteristics depending on the colors, thickness and materials used. Let’s see some representative examples of the undiscovered potential of striped design.

Striped textiles are a perfect balance of classic and contemporary

One of the brands that in a particular way has been able to decline the striped decorative motif is undoubtedly Missoni Home. From fashion to furniture, it brought a style made up of bold color combinations, interpreting the stripes in many different ways. Rugs and poufs are just an example of items to bring indoors for a creative and elegant touch at the same time.

Among the upholstered items, the Hybrid collection by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia (on the cover) is appreciated, the band version of which has a classic style, made current by the proposed color palette. The same approach returns in the Develius collection by &Tradition in which the square and rigorous, almost austere lines are made more informal and gentle by the banded fabric.

Baxter interprets the lines with a creative twist and leaves them free to take different directions: it happens with the decorative motif of the Berbere carpet which in a very clean and essential way finishes and makes the living room interesting. Finally, Ferm Living brings the stripes on the carpet by contrasting different directions that intersect in a decorative relief motif that stimulates sight and touch.

The striped decorations on the furnitures are discreet but with character

Stripes are the perfect solution for those looking for a characterful yet discreet decoration. These are measured patterns that bring a touch of orderly creativity to the environment. Sometimes these are cultured citations, as in the case of the Carlos sideboard designed for Horm by Riccardo Zamberlan, inspired by the conceptual art of Carlos Cruiz Diez, from which it takes its name. The striped surface creates an optical effect that involves the viewer by activating an interactive dynamic between the object and the person.

The Dark Side Of The Moon table designed by Piero Lissoni for Glas Italia is playful but elegant at the same time. The designer, who we usually associate with rigorous and almost austere projects, in this case indulges in color, to maximize the quality of glass, the company’s material of choice.

We conclude with the bathroom furniture: here too the stripes become a starting point for raising the decorative level in the Gessati collection by GUM Design for Antoniolupi. The inspiration is that of haute couture from which the pinstripe motif that gives the collection its name is borrowed. The thin parallel lines enhance the smooth surface of Carrara marble: the design is obtained thanks to a refined production process. Two-centimeter marble sheets are glued together with a colored resin, that resin, left exposed, thus creating lines that seem to caress the surface of the marble.

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