Is this wild design trend back in vogue?
Whether you love it or loathe it, interior decorators are making the argument for this bold and glamorous choice.
Whether you love it, loathe it or think it should be banished to the wilds of Africa, animal print has earned its stripes in the decorating stakes, according to some leading interior designers.
Melbourne-based interior decorator Charlotte Coote loves animal print when it’s used in the right place.
“I think it can add that feeling of classic old world and used correctly can say ‘elevated glamour’, ” she says.
“But never use too much, as this can risk coming across as brash or tasteless. I feel it’s important to balance out a strong animal print with plain textiles or materials, for example.”
Coote suggests that a good way to do this is to choose the colours from the animal print and then layer these back into the textile scheme or by integrating other materials such as brass or copper. “The animal print is, of course, the hero, but it shouldn’t stand out too much.,” she says. “It needs to be well supported to pull off a sophisticated, elevated and elegant look.”
Brendan Guy, senior associate at Thomas Hamel & Associates, says animal prints can add a sense of playfulness and the unexpected to a room.
“Throughout the history of interior design, starting with the French then Elsie de Wolfe in America, animal print has been used in the most sophisticated interiors to enliven a space,” he says. “It is timeless because it is so usable; in many ways an animal print acts as another neutral. It can be cushion or upholstery fabric, wallpaper or wall-to-wall carpets – not to mention animal skin rugs.”
Guy believes the use of animal print in interiors mimics its appearance in fashion and jewellery. “It adds a bit of punch and so has never gone out of style – think Cartier,” he says.
He advises using animal print in moderation but with confidence.
“A small cushion on a lush sofa is chic. Equally, a soft antelope carpet from the likes of STARK Carpets adds a sophisticated layer to a room from which to build a palate of neutral textures,” he says.
“We approach an animal print as a kind of neutral, and texture. Those who have the courage and confidence can really add layer upon layer, while injecting a sense of fun and glamour.
“A clever edit is always the best way – a rug, cushion or special chair upholstered in an animal print is just the right amount for walking on the wild side.”
Fashion educator Nicholas Huxley, who was the head of the Fashion Design Studio at East Sydney TAFE for three decades, is passionate about animal print and uses it liberally in his own home.
“Adding animal prints to a room gives it a luxurious texture that tends to blend into the rest of the decor yet still stands out for its graphic elements,” Huxley says.
“Mother Nature is the greatest designer of all time – in my case I have a zebra skin from South Africa on the living room floor as well as printed cow skins.
“Animal print is always so popular in decor and clothing. I think we’ve gone past really playing on the animal skin aspect and look at them now as gorgeous and flattering prints.
“When I was a lot younger, I used to envisage my perfect room – black and white check floors, a black grand piano, a gorgeous chandelier, a large zebra skin – I got the chandelier and the skin.”
Huxley says animal print adds a rich, luxurious and textured element to a room, especially if it is used in ordinary, normal ways instead of trying to show off.
“All this is about style and choice of skin and print – some prints can be terrible, cheap and ugly,” he says.
This story is from the October edition of Mansion Magazine. Out monthly in The Australian.
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