Stripes Aplenty

It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I realized the extent of my love affair with stripes. I was looking around my apartment one day and suddenly noticed that every single room had something striped in it—a potholder in the kitchen, an area rug in the living room, a lampshade in the bedroom. I'm not sure what it is that draws me to stripes (perhaps my mom dressed me in a lot of striped clothing as a kid?), but they always seem to project a cheerful vibe. Plus, they're an easy pattern to work with—they add visual interest, but are still simple enough to blend with practically any decor.

For the July issue of Log Home Living, I tracked down a few products that take stripes in a whole different direction. But before that issue comes out (it'll be on stands at the end of April), I thought I'd highlight some of my favorite striped items from my own home.

The first thing you see when you walk in my front door is a multicolored striped doormat (similar to this 4 x 6 jute rug from Viva Terra). The stripes don't really match anything in the room—which is to say, they match everything in the room. That's the beauty of multicolored stripes: They can tie your decor together like nothing else.

It was love at first sight when I discovered IKEA's Alvine Band duvet cover set (mine is sage green). I had been looking for a cute, inexpensive duvet cover for years, so when I saw these fresh, clean stripes for only $40, I didn't hesitate to snap it up. A few weeks later, I bought some new bedding to go with it—picnic checks and spring-y florals in vibrant red. I love mixing and matching stripes with wildly different colors and patterns—it keeps them from being too staid.

A couple of months ago, I decided my bathroom was long overdue for a little makeover, so I headed to Target with a couple of Christmas gift cards and picked up some fluffy new towels. I chose these stripes for my hand towels and washcloths, and got full-size towels in coordinating colors. Now it's like an instant dose of happiness every time I wash my face.