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Hilary Robertson Makes a Solid Bet on Stripes
When it comes to prints, what could be more enduring? The interiors and design maven shares her favorite pieces in this classic pattern.
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Hilary Robertson photographed by Mathew Williams
Pattern- for or against? I’m mostly pattern-resistant (but not averse) but admire the world of Pattern from afar.
Show me wild, bold pattern mixes in other people’s homes or wardrobes and I’ll immediately crave a Cole & Son wallpaper, a Dedar silk jacquard covered chair, a Georgina Von Etzdorf pillow, a colour saturated Berber rug. But I’ve rarely dabbled with mixing and matching beyond the occasional scatter cushion. Admittedly, I have a bit of a decor commitment problem because I get to play with all the trends when I’m at work. But at home, I resist fully immersing in a trend only to have to back out later if, or when, I tire of it.
For the sake of longevity, it’s always been easier for me to design flexible, timeless spaces with soothing, easy-to-live with solid colours and layer the textures to add some ‘tension.’
‘Tame! BOOOORING! Lazy! A cop-out’, taunts my Maximalist decorating alter ego (and my bohemian son who lives in Paris and loves embellishment). So, my plan for my new home involves stripes. Lots of them: skinny, wide, hand-painted, muted, multicoloured. Every stripe.
Since visiting La-di-dar, Gavin Houghton’s playful Tangier home, striped from its scarlet and white ceiling and banquette sofa to his kitchen’s emerald and white zig-zag striped tiled floor, I’ve been gathering striped inspiration. Stripes add some levity to a room, a dash of joie-de-vivre which turns out to be an instant mood-lifter. Circus tents, sailors, barber shops, Venetian gondolas, old school ties, Regatta blazers have all employed stripes in jolly uplifting colour combinations. They beg to be noticed.
Stripe Inspiration: La-di-dar, Gavin Houghton’s Tangier home. Imagery: Annie Schlechter
Here are my sources…
There are some chairs that 'own the room'. This is one of them. And it looks so comfortable to boot.
I work with Leanne Ford on her Crate & Barrel collection shoots and have been dying to get my hands on these vases since I first got to play with the samples a couple of years ago. They are a great size for bigger branches but look fabulous empty too.
Who cares how simple the food is when you set a table with mismatched stripes?
Stripes work from beach to bedroom.
I have been acquiring these for decades and I find they make a tailored jacket less serious. I particularly love the red version. You can’t have enough.
To quote good friend Sioux Nesi, “I love a gaudy shoe!” These striped Mary Janes will add a jaunty finishing touch to the simplest get-up: jeans with a cardigan, a Breton T, or a denim shirt.
My friend Monica Patel sources the softest, high-quality fabrics for her line of caftans, shirts etc. Thoughtfully designed summer staples.
Books by Hilary Robertson
Nomad at Home
Available - Amazon
The Stuff of Life
Available - Amazon
The Monochrome Home
Available - Amazon
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