Get in Line

Rosewood Munich

Sitting in straight lines, side to side, front to back, I travel home from Germany.  31A, 31B, 31C. Shoulder to shoulder I sit staring at the head directly in front.  30A, 30B, 30C.

Systematic.  Repetition. Order.  Stripes.

Notice how the world just lines up? 

Trees grow, sans bending, reaching up to Heaven.  Daffodil stems extend up from the earth to the sun.  Vertical.

Clouds streak across the sky.  Waves roll onto shore.  The Earth’s layers exposed, accumulating for millions of years.  Horizontal.

Wind-blown raindrops.  The steep slope of a mountain’s side.  Diagonal.

It’s human nature to form lines.  Single file, we queue.   

Landscape, fashion, interior design; we mimic this natural linear pattern.  A farmer’s crop marches across the land.  Rugby shirts showcase a team’s colors. Church pews positioned in straight rows facing the altar. 

We think, stripes are easy; simple parallel lines. 

CAUTION…

Too narrow, your eyes go bonkers.

Too wide, you have a circus.

Incorporate stripes in your design.  Be subtle. Cotton ticking on a sofa, striped sheets under a fluffy duvet.  Be bold. Black lines underfoot, nautical wallpaper.

My hotel bath expertly used four sources of stripes; the scored wooden door, the rough concrete fluted wall tile, a reeded glass shower enclosure, marble’s natural waves of soft blue, cream, and tan. 

Vertical repetition balanced with horizontal lines. All stripes.

Perfection!

Blog Cover Photo - Black and white wallpaper, Milton & King
Bathroom Photo - Rosewood Munich