Using its streaky texture and barely there colour variations, strié (a term from the French, pronounced stree-AY) is a semi classic layout technique. Although it originated as a means to evoke the appearance of thick, brushed-on paint tinged by decades of use, it’s expanded to include silk and other materials, tile and wood finishes, background and much more. It has become a favorite for its controlled yet rich visual appeal and its unfailing elegance.

All these spaces showcase strié in its various forms.

Mendelson Group

A strié wall treatment complements the undulating pattern from the art that graces this entryway. Between the two, the distance needs no additional embellishment to captivate guests.

Alan Kosa Interiors

Although strié can create a timeworn effect on pale tones like cream and gray, it also can proceed in the opposite direction on more optimistic hues. This hand-painted red background gets a hint of modern flourish using a tone-on-tone strié treatment.

Rivertown Homes by Design

A different way to get the strié appearance: Brush a sheer coat of paint or stain over timber. The unevenness of the colour and the inherent grain combine for an appealing faded appearance, just right for a shore house, cabin or rustic cabin.

LUX Design

Strié doesn’t have to be understated — a high-contrast version can yield a dramatic focal point, like with this slick kitchen island.

Shelburne Development

Tile using a strié appearance, somewhere between stone and wood in look, elevates this quietly neutral tub. The pattern provides the controlled palette a sense of power and motion.

Gina Fitzsimmons ASID

Strié can be a terrific way to tone down a hue that otherwise might be too bright for your room. A gray topcoat mutes this teal cupboard finish and gives a lovely weathered effect.

Cecilie Starin Design Inc..

Blue strié velvet on a pair of fauteuils sustains the formality of this living space, which is awash in detail and pattern. A good velvet would have appeared too plain, particularly combined with the ornate pattern on the seat backs.

Cecilie Starin Design Inc..

Following is a closer look at the velvet upholstery on the fauteuils. It’s basically two colors of blue, but the combed effect gives the impression of much greater color variation.

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