Masters of Illusion

Stripes are timeless in appeal and work in a wide variety of settings. They can be completely traditional or totally contemporary, mute the effect of busy floral patterns or meld perfectly with simple solid colors.

Just as stripes are used by fashion designers to create the illusion of height or width, so too can they seemingly alter the proportions of a room. Run vertically, they "raise the ceiling." Run horizontally, they can give a narrow wall a wider look.

The width of the stripe is crucial, however. Narrow stripes in a large room will blend together. And large stripes in a small room can be overpowering. For best results, eyeball several widths to find one that seems to fit the scale of the room.

Likewise, high-contrast stripes -- black and white, for instance -- should be used with caution, particularly in small spaces. One good way to showcase these bold designs is to put them below a chair rail, out of direct line of sight.