Striped Wallpaper: Styles, Ideas & How to Make It Yours
Striped Wallpaper That Never Dates
There's a reason the stripe never dates. Long before it became a decorator's shorthand for good taste, the stripe was doing quiet, confident work — drawing the eye, lending a room proportion and poise, and sitting as easily beside a floral as it does a plain. Striped wallpaper is one of those rare designs that feels both classic and current, which is exactly why it belongs in a considered home.
At Claret & Key, every stripe is drawn by our own designers and printed to order in our Cheshire studio, so the version that arrives at your door is the one you chose — your scale, your colourway, made for your walls and no one else's.
The many faces of the stripe
Not all stripes speak the same language, and choosing the right one is really a question of the mood you're after.
The wide stripe — sometimes called a Regency or extra-wide stripe — is the most confident of the family. Generous bands bring a relaxed, characterful grandeur that suits a hallway or a living room beautifully, and it's having a genuine moment in interiors right now. At the other end sits the pinstripe: fine, closely-set lines that read almost as a texture from across the room, perfect when you want structure without a statement. Between them lies the enduring ticking stripe — the soft, slightly imperfect stripe of old mattress fabric, and about as timeless as decorating gets.
Choosing your colour
Because our designs are printed to order, the colour is yours to decide — and stripes reward a considered palette. A pink stripe brings warmth and softness to a bedroom; a blue stripe feels fresh and coastal in a kitchen or a child's room; a green stripe leans handsome and countrified. For something bolder, a warm mustard, red or plum stripe adds depth and a note of the unexpected. Whatever you land on, it's printed in your chosen colourway rather than pulled from a fixed range.
How to use striped wallpaper at home
This is where a stripe earns its keep. Hung vertically, stripes draw the eye upward and make a ceiling feel higher — a quiet trick worth knowing in a low bedroom or a boxroom. Hung horizontally, they widen a narrow space and bring a more relaxed, modern feel; it's the braver choice, and all the more striking for it.
As for where: hallways and stairwells love a stripe, because the vertical rhythm flatters the height and the pattern won't overwhelm a space you only pass through. Living rooms take a wider stripe with ease. And a soft ticking or pinstripe makes a bedroom feel calm and put-together rather than busy. A stripe also plays beautifully as the supporting act — pair it with a floral for a layered, collected look.
Your stripe, your way
Every Claret & Key design comes in three finishes, so the only thing you're choosing is how you want to live with it. Traditional (150gsm, super-matte) is the refined, paste-the-wall classic. Heavy-Grade (300gsm, with a subtle sand texture) is built for hallways and high-traffic rooms. And Removable peel-and-stick (180gsm) gives you the same design and finish with none of the commitment — ideal for renters, or for anyone who likes to change their mind.
All three are printed to order on FSC-approved, PVC- and VOC-free paper — kinder to the planet, and safe for any room in the house, nurseries included. Nothing is printed until you order it: less waste, and a wall that's genuinely yours.
Not sure which colourway is right? Order a sample and see your stripe in your own light before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Striped Wallpaper
Does striped wallpaper make a room look bigger?
Yes, used well. Vertical stripes add a sense of height, while horizontal stripes make a room feel wider. It's one of the oldest tricks in decorating for reshaping how a space is perceived.
What is ticking stripe wallpaper?
Ticking stripe takes its name from the durable striped fabric once used to cover mattresses — a fine, evenly-spaced stripe, usually in a soft colour on a cream ground. It's a heritage look that feels calm and lived-in.
What is the widest striped wallpaper available?
Our wide, or Regency, stripes offer generous, broad bands for a relaxed, characterful feel. Because designs are made to order, the scale and colour can be chosen to suit your room.
Can I get striped wallpaper in a custom colour?
Yes. Every Claret & Key stripe is printed to order, so you choose the colour way rather than settling for a fixed palette — your design, printed especially for you.
Is striped wallpaper still in style?
Very much so. The stripe is one of the few designs that never really leaves, and wide and ticking stripes in particular are a fixture of the current move toward warm, characterful interiors.
This wallpaper is just gorgeous! I used the one that requires glue and it was super easy to i stall. One roll was enough for a 6’ wide laundry closet with 7’5” ceilings. Even on our orange peel walls it set beautifully. I did this behind our new washer dryer set up in our laundry closet with white oak cabinets and it’s perfect! Highly recommend!
Truly love this wallpaper. Looks amazing in both our bathroom (the original project) and as an accent in the back of a cabinet (what we did with the extra). Everyone who sees it comments on how classy and beautiful it is. For these reasons five stars!
However I do want to call out two concerns:
1. The online "calculator" on the site recommend nine roles, which seemed excessive for our less than 100 sq ft bathroom. I even reached out to support to double check and they said to go by the calculator. I'm glad I didn't because I ended up ordering five roles and only needing 4. I will say returning the 5th role was a pretty smooth process, so kudus to Claret and Key for that.
2. Strangely the "autumn" color with pale nutmeg background reads more green than brown in certain light. With bright overhead light it comes across as the soft brown we intended, but in natural light it reads much more green. Not anything to terrible just unexpected.
Beautiful paper! Our decorator commented on its quality and how nice and easy it was to work with compared to other wallpaper he had used in the past. Thank you.
So in love with this wallpaper. We wanted a cosy cottage bedroom vibe so we chose the Eloise. It’s such a pretty design that completely transformed the space. The wallpaper is such great quality .We have very uneven walls but didn’t have any issues. Hanging it was a joy. Highly recommend.
We used Blanche to paper some built in wardrobes that double up as room dividers. It was brilliant to be able to sample several background colour options and we are delighted with the finished result
Thank you. Fabulous Wallpaper.
Great quality paper and easy to hang.
The design is so rich in colour and adds such decadence to my dressing area. Now for the finishing touches.
Poor customer service - rolls are only available as one off 10m runs, so if you need 11m.. unfortunately you’ll be paying double for a second roll! Unless your walls are 8m or less, I’d avoid. Wrongly assumed Claret & Key would be slightly more compassionate about the situation and even help with a slightly discounted second roll, considering we only needed 1m. How wrong we were!
Store owner replied:
Hi Emily,
I'm sorry to hear that you are disappointed with the service.
We sell our wallpaper by the roll, and we are unable to manufacture shorter rolls. This will be the same for most manufacturers as 10m rolls are standard, and most rooms require more than 1 roll to complete the job.
Thanks,
Claret & Key
I really loved this paper and thought it would look nice in my attic space. Delighted with the end result. Great service, excellent quality of paper and it really transforms the room. The eves are very low so the space was not utilised so making a feature with the wallpaper has created a cosy space to relax in. Thank you. M
Love this wallpaper. It’s just enough to show a statement but not so loud that it overpowers the space. Being able to pick the color is such a great thing also. You’re not stuck with 5 options so it can match your style and colors of your space. Would recommend to anyone looking for wallpaper. Very happy and my installer said its super easy to install this pattern.
This wallpaper is thick and sturdy. It’s very easy to work with and easy to apply. It was my first time hanging wallpaper and this paper was very forgiving. Great product!
