Ticking is the graphic equivalent of a grilled cheese sandwich: humble, comfy and consistently satisfying. Much like gingham and toile, though, this striped fabric often get pigeonholed into a specific appearance. Sturdy ticking — woven from cotton or linen and initially used to insure feather and straw ticks — usually pops up in cabin, country and coastal interiors, but the simplicity of its own narrow stripes gives it chameleonlike flexibility.
This varied collection of distances showcases the numerous personalities that ticking can shoot.
Terrat Elms Interior Design
Red and white striped ticking occasionally appears more country cabin than town chic. Not here stretched over a curvaceous headboard and endorsed with a lipstick-red wall, it seems unexpectedly glamorous. The red piping on the headboard elevates the appearance.
Mandi Smith T Interiors
Ticking stripes dress a stately wing chair and assist this elegant space lighten up.
Wildwood Cabinetry
Determined by the backs of these shelves, subtle stripes provide just enough colour and pattern to add thickness without dominating the silent decor.
Vicente Burin Architects
Ticking carries a pared-down turn in this pristine space. Is it modern? Minimalist? Cottage? Each of the above? Whichever way you twist it, the striped layout adapts to the appearance.
David Vandervort Architects
Finding a fabric to complement both the standard lines of this table and the clean architecture of this space might have been a challenge, but ticking stripes rose to it with aplomb.
ROMABIO / Interior & Exterior Mineral Based Paints
Instead of an expected damask, plaid or floral pattern, casual stripes offer this set of bergères a fresh, fuss-free face.
Gibson Gimpel Interior Design
Ticking fabric to get a formal, tufted chaise? We all know one among the household who believes it was a fantastic idea.
Etsy
Red Birdie Lumbar Pillow Cover by KainKain – $18
The folksy bird onto this ticking-stripe pillow would do the job as well with a modern inside as with a cabin.
Horchow
Ticking-Stripe Chair – $2,099
What is the fastest way to loosen up an antique-style chair with ornate carved detailing? Stripes, of course.
Sundance Catalog
Zanzibar Ticking Stripe Cotton Mat, Large – $365
This cheery rug spreads the ticking idea across the spectrum.
Pillows
Angled to create a grid of squares, ticking stripes shoot on graphic appeal in this throw pillow.