By now, you'll surely have heard of the colour-drenching home decor trend that dictates to cover - or ‘drench’ - all the surfaces in a room in the same colour, from the walls and ceilings to the skirting boards, often including pieces of furniture in the scheme, too. But have you heard of the latest spin on the look called ‘stripe drenching’?
Don’t worry if not, as up until a few weeks ago, I hadn't either. So what’s ‘stripe drenching’? You might be wondering. As the name suggests, it’s all about the stripes. But this bold new home decor trend champions the timeless motif by layering various stripes within a space, resulting in a bold, but stylish look.
I first came across the term thanks to Tash Bradley, director of interior design and colour psychologist at Lick. ‘Stripe drenching extends the concept of colour drenching - where a single hue is used throughout a space - by incorporating striped patterns instead,' she explains.
'Stripes have remained a design staple because they offer balance, versatility, and visual movement. Their geometric simplicity makes them adaptable across different design styles, from traditional to modern. They also create optical illusions, helping to elongate walls, raise ceilings, or add depth, making them both decorative and functional.’
But just like any other decorating approach, stripe drenching comes with a set of rules - or guidelines - to make the trend work. I've rounded up the 3 top tips from interior experts to take on board when practising stripe drenching to help you nail the look at home.
1. Choose stripes with varying scales
The key to mixing various striped items within a room and achieving a finish that looks intentional and curated is carefully choosing various stripe widths and directions to bring some intrigue into the space.
‘Mixing different stripes can add personality and dimension to a space, but the key is cohesion,’ says Claire Garner, director at Claire Garner Design Studio. ‘Varying the scale - such as pairing wide, bold stripes with finer pinstripes - prevents the look from feeling overwhelming.’
For example, you can use wavy striped wallpaper like the Mindful 02 Wallpaper from Lick and pair it with the wider striped upholstery trend on a chair or a sofa and finish it with a couple of horizontally striped cushions.
Tash at Lick adds, ‘I’d advise against mixing too many striped directions – having vertical, horizontal and diagonal stripes in the same space can be overwhelming. Stick to one or two directions for harmony.’
2. Make sure there’s a unifying colour
While all of your stripes shouldn’t really be the same exact colour or colours, there should, however, be a unifying colour that ties the whole bedroom or living room colour scheme together.
‘Having a common colour element is essential to tie everything together,’ says Alex Stubbs, Flitch interior stylist. ‘Even when patterns differ, a unifying hue - say a rich navy or a soft cream - serves as an anchor that brings harmony to the overall design.’
Tash at Lick continues, ‘Having a shared colour across different striped elements helps tie them together, preventing the room from feeling too disjointed. However, for a bolder, eclectic look, contrasting colours can work as long as they are thoughtfully curated, for example using a consistent warm or cool undertone, or ensuring the colours are complementary, tonal.’
Lucy Mather, interiors expert at Arighi Bianchi, adds a final tip regarding stripe colour choices, ‘My top tip here would be to use the expertly paired colour combinations that feature on some of our Colours of Arley striped cushions – like Ibiza and Crab (coral and lilac), Maroon and Magnolia, Northern Quarter and Beer (orange and pink), or Sycamore and Alderley Edge (pink and green) for inspiration. Striped cushions like these, along with other accessories like throws and lampshades, are an easy way to experiment without committing to larger pieces.’
3. Don’t go overboard with the amount of striped pieces
‘Covering every surface in stripes without visual breaks can feel dizzying. Balance is key,’ Tash at Lick warns.
That’s why you should stick to a set amount of striped surfaces and items like the trending striped lamps and break them up with solid colours for that visual balance.
‘While stripe drenching embraces an all-over look, too many competing striped patterns can feel overwhelming in a small room,' Lucy at Arighi Bianchi says.
'A good rule of thumb is to mix three or four striped elements, varying their scale and direction to create contrast and harmony. Pairing a bold striped wallpaper with a more subtle striped rug and a few striped cushions can create a cohesive yet dynamic effect. Ultimately, the key is to create a space that feels intentional rather than chaotic.'
How to start stripe drenching
If you’re not quite sure where to start with stripe drenching, then it’s always best to begin with the largest statement piece and go from there.
‘Incorporating stripes can be as simple as starting with one statement piece, like a striking striped wallpaper, and then echoing that theme in your accessories and furnishings. You might also consider unexpected placements, such as striped light fixtures or even a subtly striped ceiling, to add an element of surprise,’ Alex at Flitch suggests.
Lucy at Arighi Bianchi adds, ‘If your style leans towards the adventurous, layering stripes with other patterns, such as florals or geometrics, creates an eclectic yet cohesive look, as long as there’s a unifying element like colour or proportion.’
My top picks to stripe-drench with
You could say that Colours of Arley started the striped frill cushion trend. And while the market is now saturated with admittedly more affordable versions, this is still the OG - and the brand's stripe colour combinations remain unmatched.
Not only will this wallpaper add even more playfulness to your stripe drenching and a hint of movement to your space, but the proceeds from the sale also go to a good cause - namely Calm, a suicide prevention charity.
The striped Dunelm Beatrice snuggle chair has been a hit even before everyone's obsession with stripes begun. But now that stripe drenching is a thing, the chair fits perfectly into the scheme.
Striped lamps are trending and just super stylish all around - not to mention that lighting is the perfect place to embrace this timeless motif. And this little glass number is a new find that I'm loving right now.
Incorporating stripes of various orientation is one of the top tips for stripe drenching from the experts. So why not make it easy and invest in a piece that already does it for you? I'm obsessed with this rug that does just that.
If you're stripe drenching in your bedroom, going for striped bed linen is one of the best and easiest ways to get some stripes in. I especially love this affordable H&M set which also comes in several different colourways to choose from.
With colour drenching being such a big trend, I’m not surprised new spins on the look - like double drenching and now stripe drenching - are becoming popular. I wonder what we’ll be ‘drenching’ with next. But in the meantime, what are your thoughts on stripe drenching – is it a yay or nay from you?
