Any listeners to the Great Indoors podcast will know that I am firmly championing the trend that sees chintz as the pattern of choice for the best-dressed homes. Interiors love affair with all things in excess means it’s the natural progression to choose the most maximalist of all patterns. I’m loving the brazen use of big bold chintzy florals on wallpaper- and yes all four walls people and maybe the ceiling too! And it’s creeping onto upholstery, so apply to headboards, footstools and sofas with wild abandon *cue more squeals of delight from me*.
One of the more emerging trends I saw at Maison & Objet earler this year was what I’m calling Jungle chintz. Sure, we’ve seen plenty of botanical prints for aeons now, but ‘Jungle chintz’ combines the two trends; our love of a jungle palm with the chintzy maximalism of a great big fat busy print.
Arte wallpapers have teamed up with Dutch bad boy of design Moooi who’s new wallpaper design is a very thick and heavily patterned botanical design with extinct animals poking out from behind the foliage. The design take inspiration from 10 extinct creatures, including the dodo, umbrella squid, blushing sloth and bearded leopard. Moooi found images of these animals by exploring the collections of various museums. The whole effect is very whimsy and macbre but I think that is something we are set to see more of in interior design as a means of fantastical escape.
Back here in the UK, designers dangereaux House of Hackney have penned dinosaurs amongst the exotic foliage which is part bonkers and fabulous in equal measure. When the political or economic climate gets tense- we all clutch our paintbrushes and go a little mad. Having spoken with Marianne Shillingford, Creative director at Dulux last week, she confirms that the paint manufacturer sees an upswell in bold paint sales when the social/economic climate gets tough. You can blame it on Brexit if you like, but I for one wholeheartedly embrace this trend. It’s the perfect antidote to too much good taste, and I think every home up and down the land could benefit from feeling a little more exotic. I’m currently searching for the perfect paper to finish off our downstairs loo and I can see this being the just the piece of escapism I’m looking for.
This trend, of course, doesn’t just transverse fabrics and wallpapers, but can be seen across lots of home accessories from high street to high end. Complete your luxe-exotica look with gold palm tree’s, parakeets, and jungle prints.
1. Mind the Gap Jardin tropical pendant light, from £165, Decoville | 2. Tropical jungle poster print with black frame, £19.50, Mode Prints | 3. Iman large lamp, £440, Sweetpea & Willow | 4. Clement standard back chair, £785, Darlings of Chelsea | 5. Jungle bird black tripod side table, £125, Hurn & Hurn | 6. Bodil bamboo tray, £20, Amara | 7. Devans jungle cushion cover in Liberty fabric, £35, Natural History Museum Shop | 8. Tropical birds on perch, from £37.95, Graham & Green
CREDITS
Written by Sophie Robinson. Shopping by Luisa Ferdenzi-Rouse
Featured image at top of the post is Green wall wallpaper W7330-02 by Osborne & Little