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Why we love them, and how to use them...

Carpets are second to none in creating a cosy space and introducing a plush feeling underfoot, and whilst we don't foresee the perennially popular wooden flooring falling out of favour any time soon, carpets certainly provide more opportunity for experimentation and creativity.

A striped carpet is a deceptively versatile tool in your design armoury, establishing your colour palette, providing some clever visual effects to widen or elongate a room, and adding a touch of visual interest to a space. And whilst they require a bit more consideration than a plain carpet, they can make a bigger design statement.

They key to making a striped carpet work for you is a sensitivity to colour combinations. With a striped carpet, your entire room can be styled from the floor up, picking up tones and working them into your broader design scheme. When selecting your design, gather samples of the other fabrics, wallpaper, or paint colours in your room to ensure a good match.

We've collected 12 of the best examples, and included some design tips and ideas to make the most of your striped carpet.

Whilst striped carpets may seem a playful option, they can be sophisticated in the right setting. Paired here with inky blue walls, striking architectural details, and soft grey accents, this Soho Striped Carpet from Carpetright becomes a soft backdrop.

Pictured: House Beautiful Soho Stripe Loop Wool Carpet at Carpetright

The ultimate statement carpet. Margo Selby's signature colourful pattern is writ large in this rainbow striped carpet at Alternative Flooring, contrasting soft blues and greens with warm oranges and reds.

Pictured: Margo Selby Stripe Frolic Westbrook Carpet at Alternative Flooring

Introduce pattern in a subtle way with a stair runner. This elegant striped wool carpet from Carpetright will draw the eye upwards, elongating your stairs and giving the impression of higher ceilings. Make sure to pick a hardwearing carpet for high traffic areas such as the stairs and hallway.

Pictured: House Beautiful Portobello Wool Carpet at Carpetright

A large scale stripe is a great way to establish your colour palette. Pick two or three shades from your carpet to inform the rest of your design scheme – here for instance a soft cream, chalky black and the lightest olive green have been used to create a sophisticated space.

Pictured: Margo Selby Stripe Rock Reculver Carpet at Alternative Flooring

A striped carpet can anchor a colour scheme, providing dark accents in a light room and vice versa. Employing a mix of light and dark stripes in an otherwise pastel room can prevent your softer colours from becoming overly saccharine.

Pictured: Fletcher Peabody Carpet at Flooring Superstore

Make a feature of your patterned carpet by choosing a bold mix of warm colours, and picking up zesty shades in the rest of your scheme. Deep green here is the perfect complement to the warmer reds and oranges in this Carpetright striped carpet.

Pictured: House Beautiful Soho Stripe Loop Carpet at Carpetright

It's common to mix lighter walls with a dark carpet and vice versa to establish a nice contrast, but consider pairing similar colours for an unexpected take. This creamy John Lewis carpet is matched with cream walls for a soft and calming scheme.

Pictured: Fresh Stripe 37oz Loop Carpet, Bonbon at John Lewis

Elongate a narrow hallway with vertical stripes that make a design statement as soon as you enter a home. A hallway or landing is the perfect spot to experiment with stripes, small enough to not become overwhelming, and without the hassle of matching your stripes with an abundance of furniture and accessories.

Pictured: House Beautiful Residence Striped Carpet at Carpetright

Striped carpets are a very clever way to alter perspectives in your home, adding the allusion of extra depth or space. Horizontal stripes can make a room appear wider, so they are the perfect tool for compact spaces.

Pictured: Fletcher Arlington Carpet at Flooring Superstore

This Margo Selby design uses a clever geometric motif to create eye-catching stripes in shades of purple, lilac and black. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, mixing your stripes with different patterns – a lush botanical, herringbone, or argyle for instance – produces a striking visual impact.

Pictured: Quirky B Margo Selby Button Black Carpet at Alternative Flooring

Stripes don't necessarily mean bold and eye-catching. Those partial to a more subtle design scheme can employ a lighter touch, using a striped texture, or soft shades of cream or oatmeal.

Pictured: Fletcher Somerville Carpet at Flooring Superstore

Vertical stripes are a clever way to direct the eye towards interesting areas of your room. Here, a vertical stripe is used to create a visual tunnel towards some lovely outdoor views, and you can employ the same effect to highlight architectural features like an original fireplace.

Pictured: House Beautiful Portobello Wool Carpet at Carpetright

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