5.18.2012

yea or nay: chintz

for anyone who remembers the eighties, chintz may be a dirty word. I remember wearing a Laura Ashley dress and pearls as my sister's maid of honour, and my mother fretting because my hair was black, and half shaved, and I refused to remove my nose ring :) It was a moment. I despised the sweetness of those oversized florals back then, and never thought there would be a day where I would be embracing them. But lately, in clean hues, when used with restraint, a floral chintz is looking rather fresh. It started a few month's back, with Anna Spiro's pink curtains, (shown below), then  I saw a fabulous post last week over at I Suwannee featuring Carleton Varney, and began wandering around the house, looking for a spot to tuck some in!






If you'd like to bask in this vibe, a room wrapped in large florals is a brave leap into pattern and colour. Love the idea of using this as an alternative to tile for a backsplash in the kitchen - so pretty!






Not quite ready for wallpaper? Curtains require less of a commitment....






and pillows are simpler again.
(these aren't all chintz, exactly, but you get the idea :)






A patterned chair is a perfect exclamation point to a space.






and if a chair isn't quite enough, then perhaps something larger?






Small bits of chintz can be layered in with smaller pieces.....fabric on a frame? Do that all the time!






Although this is a little over-the-top, I do like the idea of an upholstered/wallpapered lack table...hmmm...







I think the key is to to avoid pairing chintz with country/shabby anything, because it is already such a "sweet" look.  It's the juxtaposition of chintz against clean lined-furnishings and hard surfaces such as mirror, metal and glass that make it modern. 

What do you think of chintz? Could you see any of this in your own space?






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11 comments:

Wendi @ Classic Chic Home said...

Hi Anne-Marie,
I've always been attracted to chintz (in small doses). Pairing this pretty pattern with clean, modern elements, as you said, is dramatic and exciting. Love the look!

Julie Leah said...

Absolutely! In moderation, of course :) I think it's the perfect surprise for any room- there's so many possibilities for how to incorporate it into your own style!

Unknown said...

I have to say I'm not a fan, maybe because I was bombarded by it in my grandmother's home when I was a kid. Kind of cool on the Saarinen chairs though!

Abby M. Interiors said...

I have to say...I didn't even get three sentences in without scrolling down quick to make a comment.

I *love* the visual of your half-shaved head and nose ring next to a Laura Ashley dress. I was totally opposite of that "moment", but I know we would have been friends anyway. O.K., back to reading about chintz. ;-)

Abby M. Interiors said...

A huge YAY to this. I would absolutely upholster furniture in it, use drapery panels, wallpaper, and pillows. Just not all in the same room. ;-)
Abby

andee said...

I miaa my Sister Parish chintz and am thrilled to see it creeping back in. Mine ended up at the beach house and is destryed. The furniture itseflf is of fine lineage and will be redone someday.
ai guess. I now love Fortuny and
am broke.

Kerry Steele- Design du Monde said...

I really love big cabbage rose chintz. I am OK with the granny effect it has on things. My great grandmother had chintz everywhere and switched it out by season.

Lisha @ 1house1couple said...

I personally don't like floral prints. I was a tom boy back then, and I guess I still am, lol! I am fine with others having it in their home, but I'm not a very cottage-y type person. I prefer more neutral and clean design.

lisaroy said...

I was pretty bombarded with it in the 80s and early 90s. I might go with an upholstered ottoman or a pillow but I don't think anything more than that. My guy wouldn't appreciate going back to all that floral either.

heather (love your space) said...

I like my flowers a little more stylized--more India than England. But lately I am bringing florals with a little more movement into my house. Not quite chintz, exactly, but verring a bit in that direction. I actually love many of the images you posted here, but they might be just a bit--lush?--for me.

Jo said...

The large florals on the chairs are so bright and cheery. I especially like Nick Olsen's designs.

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