How does real estate lawyer Gordon Chin relieve stress in these trying economic times? Stripes.

“I would paint them at 8 or 9 o’clock at night for four or five hours,” said Chin of the painstakingly hand-painted tan and cream stripes he added to the entry hallway of his home. “It’s kind of a good release.”

Chin — lawyer by day, interior designer by night—has been decorating the homes of his friends and family for years. But with the recent housing market downturn and a slowdown at his day job, he’s turned his hobby into a bona fide business.

And his own Kenyon Square condo in Columbia Heights serves as a showcase of his talents.

“I think the vision was just warm comfort in the city,” said Chin of his 1,100-square-foot space. “That escape. … When I come home I want to shut the door and it’s my little oasis in the city.”

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