Hot Trend: 20 Tasteful Ways to Add Stripes to Your Kitchen

Stripes – they are not as simple and straightforward as they seem and surely bring a whole lot of excitement to any room they adorn. Whether you love those thick horizontal stripes that almost seem like creative artwork or the classic vertical stripes that bring a sense of drama and luxury when used right, there is no doubt that stripes are once again back in fashion. This is especially true in contemporary homes where neutral backdrops and unassuming decor often hold sway. Colorful stripes bring excitement laced with sophistication and an air of exclusivity.

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Stripes in the kitchen were considered a retro feature and the 90s shunned this idea for more monotonous beige and cream backdrops. Revived by contemporary designers’ and homeowners’ newfound love for all things retro, vintage and Art deco, stripes in the kitchen are back with a bang!

Colorful Accent Additions

For some reason, striped accent walls seem to be a lot more popular in the bedroom and the living room when compared to the kitchen. Maybe the presence of kitchenware and all those shelves and cabinets take away from the beauty and uniqueness of the striped accent wall. But if you have an organized kitchen largely in white where the shelves and other additions melt away into the backdrop, a striped sensation is indeed the perfect way to add some color and create a cheerful focal point. The more neutral and minimal your kitchen, greater the impact of this banded beauty!

Creative and colorful striped accent wall for a crisp modern kitchen [Design: Lawson Carpentry & Joinery]

Colorful striped wall for the kitchen in white [Design: Coral Interiors]

Striped accent wall for the kitchen and the breakfast nook [Design: Brunelleschi Construction]

Glossy Tiled Stripes

Kitchens and bathrooms offer one additional advantage that does not come with other rooms of your home – tile. Tiles can also add stripes to your kitchen, and they can do so with both captivating flair and unassuming ease. Creating colorful bands with tiles (glass or subway) is a pretty easy and straightforward task. If you are ever bored with the pattern, you can simply swap out a few tiles to change the colorful pattern and move away from simple stripes to more complicated patterns.

An innovative take on adding stripes to the kitchen backsplash with black and white tiles [Design: Nest Architects]

Subtle way to adds stripes to the kitchen with colorful tiles [Design: Karen Soojian]

Kitchen backsplash that is all about cheerful elegance [Design: Think Contemporary]

Classy Mediterranean kitchen with a striped backsplash [Design: Tommy Chambers Interiors]

Turn to Decor

Kitchen renovations are often hectic tasks to undertake and require considerable effort, time and dough. If you feel that a new tiled backsplash or a painted accent wall are too much work or that they just do not fit the look of your existing kitchen, then decor is indeed the next best way forward. Bar stools, window blinds, cabinets and new kitchen counters with subtle stripy pattern can bring that ‘it’ factor you are after with minimal changes.

Add those stripes to the kitchen with smashing bar chairs [From: James Yochum Photography]

Six Light Square Tube Chandelier complements the striped blinds in the backdrop [Design: Mascheroni Construction]

Window blinds bring stripes to this contemporary kitchen [Design: Grosvenor Crescent]

Small breakfast booth in the beach style kitchen [Design: Tom Stringer Design Partners]

Smart Striped Walls

A striped accent wall looks fabulous in contemporary and modern kitchens, but those who love farmhouse, vintage, retro and traditional styles can delve a bit deeper by using stripes for all the walls. If you feel the look is a bit too overwhelming and visually suffocating, then go for half-striped walls and find that elusive balance between playful and refined. When using stripes in a more extensive fashion, pick colors that are not too glossy and bright. A tone-on-tone approach where the stripes blend in with the color scheme of the room as well is a great compromise, as it leaves the comforting ambiance of the kitchen untouched.

Striped wallpaper creates a soothing backdrop for the spacious traditional kitchen [Design: Eberlein Design Consultants]

Streamlined splash of orange for the modern kitchen [Design: Boxe Designs]

Farmhouse style kitchen with lovely wooden cabinetry [From: Colin Cadle Photography]

Chic contemporary kitchen flanked by horizontal stripes [Design: Kamarron Design]

Unique Ceiling & Floor

We do feel that there are times when everyone is too fixated on walls at the expense of the floor and ceiling. Even your kitchen floor and ceiling can add stripes to the space without seeming garish and brash. Painting the ceiling with stripes is a strategy that only works in large, spacious kitchens with ample light and a certain classic charm. It is not a look that fits in everywhere. Instead, a custom ceiling with wooden slats is a far more charming and tranquil alternative. Add a plush rug with colorful stripes to complement the graceful ceiling and complete the makeover.

Ceiling and rug add stripes to this lovely traditional kitchen [From: James Yochum Photography]

Marmoleum Linoleum Flooring by Forbo bring stripes to the kitchen [Design: Gaspar's Construction] — Marmoleum Linoleum Flooring by Forbo bring stripes to the kitchen [Design: Gaspar’s Construction]

Ceiling with yellow and white stripes for the modern kitchen [From: California Home + Design]

A Zigzag Twist

As we alluded to earlier, stripes come in a wide range of patterns, and we always love a hint of diversity that moves away from convention. While a kitchen backsplash with a Chevron pattern might not strictly fit into the ‘striped’ section, it sure works for us! We leave you with a couple of cool kitchens that showcase this exciting look.