Even the most eager interior design enthusiasts stumble upon a style, trend or pattern they’ve never heard of. Here’s a short list of terms of style and pattern trends and what they mean.
Art Deco
Geometric lines, bold colors and materials like chrome, stainless steel and plastic characterize Art Deco. The movement began in the 1920s and has influenced architecture, film, fashion, cars and much more for more than a century.
Biliophilic
The term biliophilic has been popularized in recent years to refer to design that connects the indoors and the outdoors and elevates nature into everyday living. Popular culture has characterized it through interior spaces that have numerous plants. However, this design concept is much deeper, encouraging communities to envision and build spaces that blend the indoors and nature seamlessly.
Ikat
Pronounced e-cot, it’s a resist dyeing technique from Indonesia where bundles of yarn are intricately dyed first before being placed on a loom for weaving. Modern day ikat style patterns are printed on fabric and are usually characterized by a blurred object offset by bright colors.
Japandi
Japandi design is sort of a mix of two cultures, Japan and Scandinavia, that hold minimalism, simplicity and the natural world in high regard. It’s calming and aims to blend function and form while highlighting clean lines and light. More on Japandi here.
Otomí
The word Otomí refers to the indigenous people of the central plateau of Mexico. The Otomi people created bright and colorful embroidery patterns of flora and fauna that have become popular in textiles and home design today.
Quatrefoil
Derived from the Latin word “four” and “leaf,” quatrefoil is a pattern that looks like a four leaf clover. This pattern has been around for centuries and used in architecture, textiles, furniture and more. The more you look around, the more you start to notice this pattern on fabrics, wallpaper and furnishings.
Toile Pronounced like t-wah-l, it’s a classic pattern of repeating designs printed on paper or fabric that depicts scenes that are idyllic in nature. The word toile is French for linen cloth. Toile is a classic pattern that has a timeless feel.
