Striped Carpet Ideas: How to Style Your Stairs

Bored of beige? Striped carpet is the perfect way to inject personality into your home without overwhelming a room. The most popular place for stripes is, without doubt, the staircase.

Why Stairs? Stairs are a transient space—you pass through them, you don't sit in them. This makes them the perfect place to be bold. Stripes also lead the eye upwards, creating a sense of flow and elongating the appearance of the staircase.

Narrow or Wide? Narrow pinstripes look smart and formal. Wide, bold stripes look modern and playful. If you have a narrow staircase, avoiding very wide stripes can help stop it feeling constricted.

Matching the Landing: The golden rule is: Don't strip the landing! It can make you dizzy. Instead, pick a plain color from within the stripe (usually the base tone like grey or beige) and use that for the landing and hallway. This creates a cohesive, designed look.

Fitting: Striped carpet requires an expert fitter. The lines must straight, especially over the nosing of each step. On curved stairs (winders), the pattern matching skill required is high.