The pattern originated as a Scottish Highlands tartan known as Rob Roy. There are different origin stories to how the pattern came to be named Buffalo Check.
In the most common version of the story, a designer for Woolrich introduced the the broad black and red plaid pattern in the mid-1800s modeled after the Rob Roy tartan. Since he owned a herd of buffalo, he called it Buffalo Check. It was used for the first ready-made garment Woolrich offered. Still in operation, Woolrich is the oldest woolen mill in the country and have one of these shirts in their archives dating to 1856. This same classic Buffalo Check (No. 5310-402) is still available in their classic work shirt. This color combination is often associated with lumberjacks.
The other origin story of Buffalo Plaid is far more colorful. A descendant of Rob Roy, Jock McCluskey, befriended the Native Americans and traded Scottish woolen blankets for buffalo pelts. The deep red color was thought to be derived from the blood of spirits and believed to bring good luck when worn in battle.
While its origins are red and black, Buffalo Check has become a term used for a large check pattern of two colors. While the red and black as a symbol of lumberjacks evokes an outdoorsy feel, black and white Buffalo Check and other neutral color combinations have become trendy in home decor. It mixes the neutral color palettes with the farmhouse aesthetic into a basic bold two-color check.
]]>The weaving process gives the fabric an iridescent look but not as iridescent as silk taffeta.
It is heavier than Shantung and both are used for formal wear. Because it is heavier, though, Dupioni is commonly used for in draperies, bedspreads, and pillow shams.
The term Gingham has many possible origins. In Malay, "genggang" means ajar or separate. It may have been named for Guingamp, a town in Brittany, France. Or it could have come to English via Dutch.
Gingham when it was first imported to Europe in the 1600s was striped. In the mid-18th century, English mills began weaving the checker pattern that we now refer to as Gingham.
One of the most famous examples of Gingham is the blue and white dress worn by Dorothy in the 'Wizard of Oz.' (That comes on the list before the Gingham shirt worn by Mary Ann on 'Gilligan's Island.')
Gingham evokes a homespun feel perfect for farmhouse, country, rustic, and Americana decors. It at works well with the girlish fancy of cottage decor, and the bright country feel of Shabby Chic. ]]>A nautical decor theme focuses on motifs of ships and sailing; often with and a color scheme of navy blue, red, and yellow. Nautical themes are a staple of beach, coastal, Cape Cod, and even Americana decors.
Nautical-themed decor has been around for a while. The motifs are pulled from shipping including anchors, sailboats, lighthouses, oars, compass roses, maps, and rope. Using this theme for a home might seem a bit strange to a sailor or seaman whose working life is surrounded by these objects.
Nautical decor is related to coastal, beach decors, and Cape Cod in that they use ocean motifs. Beach is more likely to include recreational sea-related subjects but with similar bright colors. Coastal, though, is known for its more subdued color palette of blue, aqua, and tan with plenty of whitewashed wood. Cape Cod is similar to coastal but denotes particular architectural styles seen in Northeastern coastal communities.
The use of blocks of primary colors derives from nautical signal flags which use blue, red, and yellow in bold easily-designated designs. The colors of nautical items blend well with the red, white, and blue of Americana.
One of the most widely-known designers who makes heavy use of nautical style is Ralph Lauren. His yearly lines feature a segment of nautically-influenced clothes and his home decor often features the theme.
Even a landlubber can bring a little bit of the sea into their home with nautical decor. Do not let your distance from the ocean stop you from enjoying this crisp, colorful style.
The broad term Americana denotes anything related to the culture of the United States. The US flag and its elements including five-pointed stars, red and white stripes, and the colors red and blue may be included as elements in Americana.
Americana crosses over into many decor styles such as federal, country, farmhouse, and primitive. It is often associated with the do-it-yourself chalk painting and stenciling popular in shabby chic. Because of the blue and red, it works well with nautical decor. All of these homespun styles have elements of Americana in the general sense of the term.
Handmade crafts such as quilts, primitive arts and crafts, and weathered furniture are often featured. While the flag is the most common motif, other symbols include bald eagles, the Seal of the USA, maps, farming implements, and military paraphernalia.
Color can be intimidating but so can the lack of color. Achromatic schemes can seem cold and industrial depending on how they are used and the forms and fabrics used. Cooler schemes will feature grey, white, and black. Warmer achromatic schemes will include beige, tan, and browns.
Another version of achromatic color can be to use pastels. Using the lightest shade of for a slightly less-than-neutral base. Greys can can shift from subtle hints of pink, purple, green or blue.
Much like the monochromatic color scheme the muted colors and neutrals can highlight form.
If you are unsure of what type of color scheme you want for a room, start with achromatic scheme as the base. Choose either a warm (browns, tans, beige) or cool (black, white, grey) and integrate your final color palette on top of that.
Get inspiration for your achromatic color scheme interior design by browsing some of our neutral colored dining chair cushions and view the customer photos to see neutral colored interior design.
]]>Toile is a pattern of fabric with repeated pastoral scenes illustrated in a single color on a white or cream background.
Toile is a French term that refers to linen or canvas fabric specifically for paintings. The full name of the fabric pattern is Toile de Jouy which means cloth from Jouy-en-Josas, a town near Paris.
Toile is most commonly used for upholstery but the pattern is also popular as wallpaper. It is associated with colonial style and as it was popular during the Colonial era. With novelty of pastoral Victorian-era scenes and the light airy feel, Toile works well with decor styles such as cottage, shabby chic, and French provincial.
While the pattern is detailed, the monochromatic color scheme makes a Toile subtle yet whimsical accent.
Ticking used to be considered unsightly and was merely a base to be properly covered by bedsheets and pillow cases. Today, Ticking Stripe has become popular as a fabric pattern for shabby chic, vintage, rustic, and contemporary country and farmhouse styles. Because of the raw manufactured feel, it is also used in industrial decor.
Some modern Ticking Stripes are still woven while others are printed on lighter weight fabrics. Modern versions also come in a variety of colors including red, aqua, and black though most still retain the neutral white or beige background.
]]>Contemporary decor favors simplicity in furniture forms and often employs a neutral or light color palette as a showcase for select pops of bright colors and exciting patterns.
Contemporary Decor is casual and often eclectic, easily incorporating favorite modern or traditional pieces alongside the latest material technology.
Contemporary Design adores ample natural light, open floor plans and big volume to achieve a sensation of spaciousness which requires judicious use of furniture scale and restraint in accessorization.
As a Decor Style or Era, Contemporary means “popular or in use right now” but the term is often confused with Modern, Post-Modern, and Mid-Century.
Federal period is a segment of American history immediately following the Colonial Period, lasting from around 1780 to 1820.
In the preceding Colonial Period, many early American settlers were homesteaders, who by necessity made their own textiles and home furnishings. Very few highly-skilled craftsmen were available locally, and imports were expensive, risky, and heavily taxed.
By the Federal Period, Americans had more disposable income, local artisans were growing more skilled at furniture production, and textile imports were growing more affordable. By virtue of these developments, federal Decor, though similar, is often more refined than colonial American decor. It is also in this period that American master-craftsmen begin to shape an American style independent of the Anglo-European traditions which were previously reproduced as faithfully as possible.
Symbols of the infant nation, such as eagles and stars, are popular, alongside a revival of classical motifs inspired by the new republic’s admiration of the world’s first republics in Ancient Greece and Rome. One notable piece that appears often in federal is the "Federal Mirror" which is a round, convex mirror with a gold frame usually topped by an eagle.
There was a small resurgence of the patriotic motifs of Federal style in the mid-1970's for the Bicentennial of the United States.
The pattern most likely occurred spontaneously in each human culture independently, either inspired by insects and reptiles that bear the pattern, or as a natural consequence of the fabric weaving process from alternating the colors of warp threads and weft threads.
The name "check", denoting a pattern of alternating lines of that form blocks, seems to have entered the English language via the French, from an ancient Persian game played on a board similar to a chess board or checkers board.
Two different color threads are alternated on both the weft and warp giving the look of three colors, the light thread, the dark thread, and a mix of the two.
There are many derivations of the check pattern including Gingham Check, Graph Check, Tattersall Check, Windowpane Check, and Buffalo Check.
]]>Fleur de lis pattern is a stylized flower depiction believed to be a lily, but is, in fact, a yellow iris.
Fleur-de-lis is a heraldic device which has been adopted as a general decorative motif by several cultures. A yellow iris which grew abundantly by the river Lis in the region of the Netherlands where the Franks originated. These Franks went on to settle Gaul, and their emblem was inherited by their noble French descendants.
It continues to be a symbol of France. One historian claims the three petals represent the three medieval social estates: nobility, commoners, and the clergy.
In the case of window treatments, the drop is the vertical distance from the top of the rod pocket to the bottom edge of the window treatment.
For valances drop is usually expressed in inches. For curtains the drop may be a specific unit of measure or a category: to the sill, below the sill, to the floor, or puddled on the floor.
The drop you need will involve personal preference and placement of the rod. For a longer, vertical line, place the rod either just below the ceiling line and find a drop that goes all the way to the floor or longer to puddle the curtains. Although, most window treatments are traditionally hung a few inches above the frame. Also remember to consider the header height when considering rod placement.
Paisley is a teardrop-shaped motif with a curled ending. It is commonly seen in Bohemian, Boho Chic, Moroccan, and Indian decors.
Originally named buta, or boteh meaning flower the design originated in Persian. The pattern was popular with hand-loomed Kashmir shawls which Europeans brought home on their travels to India. The modern name of Paisley come from the town of Paisley, located in West Scotland where textiles with the design were widely produced.
Paisley designs date back approximately to 1700 BCE. Expressing essence the droplet shape became a popular decorative element used by the Azerbaijani culture and architecture. The paisley design can also be found in the symbol for Yin and Yang and is a zoroastrian symbol of life and eternity.
The East Indian Company made paisley an international pattern when it began exporting Indian fabrics to Western Europe. Like Calico and Chintz, Paisley became outlawed to protect the French and English textile manufacturing industries. They kept the designs, though, and produced their own versions with most of what is now known as Paisley being manufactured in Paisley, Scotland. The Paisley mill adapted their looms to use five colors of thread instead of two. Yet they still could not match the number of colors being woven into shawls in Kashmir.
Embracing a psychedelic style the pattern became mainstream leading up to the mid- and late-60's era. Contemporary and traditional the shape of Paisley is widely known and is commonly used for men's ties and suit linings.
Paisley is commonly used in Bohemian, Boho Chic, Moroccan, and Indian decors. The depending on the style and color of Paisley, it is sometimes used in transitional and traditional decors.
Tropical is a decor style that features the flowers and foliage of tropical plants. Sometimes it will feature other motifs related to beach or tropical locales. It is mostly seen in beach and transitional decors but also appears in tiki-themed mid-century design.
Tropical designs often feature bright colors, leaves, fruit, various birds, parrots, flamingos, flowers, and trees.
Tiki decor takes its inspiration from beachside bars that served up lavish, fruity cocktails. It was popular in mid-century decor and occasionally makes a resurgence.
Another version of tropical decor which is more subtle, has been popularized by designers such as Tommy Bahama, whose modern take on tropical features furniture with bamboo and cane accents and calming color palettes.
Whatever your favorite version of tropical decor is, it will always bring a bit of the islands into your home.
Elizabethan is frequently influenced by floral designs seen in embroidery period. Worked in color, or in black thread on white cloth which is known as black-work. Variations on stylized roses were most common and were usually distributed in regular symmetrical columns.
Tableaus reproduced from Late-Medieval style tapestries occasionally appear, but it is more common to see motifs reproduced from wall-cloths. The Elizabethan Era saw unprecedented growth of the middle class, and these homeowners had enough disposable income to decorate their homes in fashionable textiles.
The wall cloth was the predecessor of modern wall-paper and, unlike tapestries, usually featured abstract flourishes rather than scenic landscapes with human and animal figures.
Floral prints have been a popular motif in home decor for centuries, with their origins dating back to ancient civilizations such as the Greeks and the Romans. However, it was during the 18th and 19th centuries that floral prints became increasingly popular in interior design. The rise of the Romantic movement and the interest in natural forms and motifs, including flowers and foliage, influenced the popularity of floral patterns in textiles, wallpaper, and furnishings.
In the 20th century, floral prints remained popular, particularly in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements. The 1960s and 70s saw a resurgence of floral prints, with bold, psychedelic designs becoming popular in fashion and interior design. In the 1980s, floral prints returned to a more subdued and traditional interpretation.
In the 21st century, the pandemic has had a profound impact on many aspects of our lives, including our homes and the way we approach interior design. As people spent more time indoors, many began to focus on creating spaces that were calming and comforting, and this led to a resurgence of floral prints in interior design. The new global disposition towards comfort has also spawned several retro decor styles that often incorporate floral patterns, such as "Coastal Granny" and "Grand Millennial".
A greater focus on sustainability and eco-friendly design in the 21st century has also raised the profile of designs that reflect nature in their motif. As many young adults delay or opt out of having children and pets for economic reasons, the popularity of house plants has surged, and with it, interest in botanical prints.
Because floral patterns can be interpreted in many diverse ways, when searching for floral patterns for your home decor, we suggest that you qualify the search with a decor style (traditional, contemporary, Pennsylvania Dutch, colonial, French provincial, cottage, tropical, shabby chic), or with a type of fabric (chintz, batik, brocade, jacquard), or with a color combination (red and white floral pattern, blue floral pattern).
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Historically the fabric was made of silk, wool, linen or cotton, but most damasks today are made in polyester or rayon. Modern Damasks are woven on computer controlled Jacquard looms.
Damask differs from Brocade in that only a single weft thread is used. As a monochromatic fabric, damask adds rich texture and elaborate patterns while remaining subtle and refined. It is the perfect choice for Victorian decors in that the single color does not clash with ornate furniture but the rich texture adds luxury.
Damask is a rich accent for modern decors such as transitional giving simple pieces an opulent feel.
]]>Processed flax fibers bear a striking resemblance to human hair, and the adjective “flaxen” is still sometimes used to describe a shade of blonde hair color.
]]>Around the mid 1800’s mass-produced hard candy debuted, and much of it was striped.
The fabric is named for this candy, which we now know as, “Old Fashioned” or “Christmas” candy. But the fabric pattern is perhaps better known today for its association with volunteer nurses known as Candy Stripers. The first Candy Stripers were a class of American high school girls who served as volunteer nurses at a local hospital for a class project. The students made their nursing uniforms from red and white candy stripe fabric donated by their teacher.
Candy stripe is a solid stripe not to be mistaken for ticking stripe in which there is a pattern in the stripes or awning stripe which is much larger in scale. Like ticking stripe, though, these narrow-striped fabrics, especially the traditional red/pink stripe are often used in shabby chic and cottage decor.
The warp and weft threads may be the same color or different. Satin threads are particularly effective in this kind of weave as their texture highlights the pattern.
Polo shirts are usually made with dobby and piqué fabrics are a type of dobby construction.
]]>English and French merchants began importing large quantities of chintz in the late 1600s. It was mainly used for upholstery and draperies. The design style was also popular for porcelain.
It has been suggested that wearing them as clothes began when draperies were replaced and the fabric given to maidservants, who made them into dresses They were also used as garment linings.
Imported chintz became outlawed in the late 1600s and early 1700s. The Court of Versailles, though, got an exemption and fashionable courtiers continued to wear chintz.
Two industrious Frenchmen both sent home samples and notes on the production of Chintz from India. When the ban on Chintz was lifted in 1759, the French and English were producing their own versions of the fabric. Westerners originally copied the Indian motifs but, eventually, developed their own designs.
Modern chintz usually consists of large, bright, floral patterns printed on a light background but some popular patterns are on darker backgrounds.
Chintz was originally distinguished from other floral prints by the glazing of starch or wax which made the designs more impervious to wear. Some modern fabrics are called chintz not because of the design but because of the glossy finish.
The modern term "chintzy" refers to gaudy, elaborate, or vulgar designs. Many believed that the garish prints of chintz were unsuitable for garments when they first became fashion, but the prints took off as the nobility began wearing them.
Everything comes back into style again. Take a step back in time and forward in fashion with chintz. It is fitting for decors such as shabby chic, and cottage. It can also be worked into traditional styles such as French provincial and colonial.
]]>Colonial period from 1700-1780 (and the Federal Period from 1780-1820) typically follow the styles popular in Europe at the time: William and Mary, Queen Anne, Chippendale, and English Neo-Classical styles (Hepplewhite & Sharaton), however, the American versions of these styles were characteristically simplified.
Tapestry and a variety of Jacquard fabrics, including damask, dominated upholstery textiles, alongside chintz floral calicos, porcelains and wall-papers depicting European interpretations of Indian, Chinese and Moghul motifs. Jacobean embroidery and needlepoint also persisted as popular motifs in the American Colonies well into the 18th century. Other popular motifs of the period include stripes, leaves, vines, urns, seashells, and, pineapples.
Chevron can be a single downward turned V or, can denote a pattern of tiled chevrons. The lines that makes up a Chevron pattern are normally alternating colors of the same width.
As a uniform horizontal repeat, the pattern is called Chevron. If the the pattern is turned on its side, has varying line widths, or different sized V shapes, it is usually referred to the more generic term zigzag.
Bold, wide chevron prints have made a resurgence in the past few years in single colors such as aqua, grey, and yellow combined with white.
]]>Dotted Swiss, also known as Swiss Dot, Dotted Swiss is a semi-sheer cotton fabric decorated by petite dots of raised texture.
Dotted Swiss, also known as Swiss Dot, Dotted Swiss is a semi-sheer cotton fabric decorated by petite dots of raised texture. This fabric is often used for baby clothes and curtains. The design is said to have originated around 1750 in St. Gallen, Switzerland, which emerged as a textile center in the 15th century.
It began due to the rise of trade with the Far East in the 1700s.
Orientalism, which is the study of Far East cultures from a historical, philological, anthropological, philosophical and religious point of view that captivated Westerners in the 1800s. It gave rise to Oriental-influenced decorative arts.
Subject matter and style tends to focus on far eastern (Japanese and Chinese) decorative arts but can also include the influence of Middle Eastern styles such as Moorish and Byzantine architecture. Chinoiserie is elaborate and heavily decorative.
Patterns include geometrical designs inspired by architecture and Asian-inspired scenes on toile or as decorative accents on furniture.
]]>Indeed, cotton duck is so ubiquitous, it deserves to be synonymous with the word "cloth".
The heaviest weight cotton duck canvas, (which weighs +14 ounce per yard) is used to make the sails for sailboats, the bags for sandbags, painter's canvases, and casual summer shoes.
Lighter weight cotton duck fabric (7 ounce) is soft yet durable, and is used for apparel and home furnishings. Cotton Duck may be dyed a solid color, or bleached and printed over with popular designs such as floral prints, ticking stripes, or plaid checks.
]]>Early canvas awnings were typically plain linen or cotton duck sail cloth.
The characteristic stripes from which this pattern gets its name appeared in the mid 1800's. When steam power began to overtake sailing vessels as the main mode of transport, sail cloth became very affordable. Clever textile merchants took advantage of this affordable canvas to create awnings that offered window shoppers a dry spot to linger on drizzly days and a shady retreat on sunny days.
Savvy shopkeepers began using colorful and recognizable patterns to get the attention of strolling shoppers, and the awning stripe became a mainstay of outdoor fabrics still widely used today.
This bold pattern is commonly used in beach, coastal, and nautical decor and will brighten up any patio or sunroom.
A more varied and colorful version of the bold, wide stripe is cabana stripe.
]]>The word Athemion is based on the Greek word for flower, therefore, the petals turn inward like a lotus blossom.
On the other hand, palmette is inspired by palm fronds which turn outward.
Athemion motifs can be found in Greek ornamental architecture. One particular variation is referred to as a "flame palmette" where the leaves gently curve out before the tips curl back tightly giving it the appearance of a flame. These designs can be found in repeating patterns on columns and friezes or as singular pieces at the roof apexes and corners of buildings.
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