Decorating Guides
Retro Chic: The Return of Tie-Dye Decor
See how this psychedelic trend is making its mark in home decorating
Tie-dye — a psychedelic 1960s trend that really never departed from eclectic, bohemian households — is working its way back into everyone else’s decor. The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia would either be vindicated or addled with angst at the mainstream adoption of his signature pattern. Today it’s popping up on rugs, wallpaper, textiles and more. Take a look at these recent applications, and tell us how you feel about this latest wrinkle in the crisp sophistication of contemporary home design.
I’ll bet you never considered how much your uber-distressed painted furniture can resemble tie-dye. That realization alone may be cause enough to shift your perspective about this good ol’ handicraft.
Retro Rug
Here’s a test: If you feel bored by your dining room, or something seems a little too perfect and put-together, throw a flat-woven tie-dye rug in an eye-popping color under your table and see how you feel then. It’s an instant refresher.
Here’s a test: If you feel bored by your dining room, or something seems a little too perfect and put-together, throw a flat-woven tie-dye rug in an eye-popping color under your table and see how you feel then. It’s an instant refresher.
Wacky Wallpaper
Who knew that tie-dye could be as neutral a pattern as geometrics and trellises? This wallpaper features a similar evenly spaced design that references tie-dye but without the large patches of saturation.
Who knew that tie-dye could be as neutral a pattern as geometrics and trellises? This wallpaper features a similar evenly spaced design that references tie-dye but without the large patches of saturation.
Tie-dye goes high-end with a muted but somehow still edgy Maya Romanoff wallpaper. In a way, a hallway or stairwell is the perfect site for a knockout papered wall like this, as these tend to be spots with minimal adornment where the pattern can really stand out.
Wallpaper whiz Romanoff has clearly fallen hard for this look. Pictured here is her Anniversary Crystal paper in Pearl Taupe, one of five colors developed by designer Amy Lau. This wallpaper doesn’t merely mimic a tie-dye print; it actually is durable paper dyed by hand in the company’s Chicago studio.
This wallpaper by The Detroit Wallpaper Co. was designed after the Japanese resist-dyeing technique known as shibori, in which anything from rubber bands to binder clips is used to block parts of the cloth from receiving the dye. This particular style comes in five colors and dials back the psychedelic palette with a chic, simplified overhaul.
Another highly individual wallpaper choice, this one doesn’t necessarily resemble any of the usual tie-dye suspects. To me, it looks more like the initial swirling of paint in its white base before it’s mixed into a final product.
Trippy Textiles
Scientific studies have shown that children gravitate toward multicolors and brights. (The creators of Rainbow Brite were on to something.) Canadian color expert Janice Lindsay says that “young children like clean and vibrant colors, especially warm ones, and are more attracted to color than shape” — making a strong case for using tie-dye in children’s bedrooms.
Scientific studies have shown that children gravitate toward multicolors and brights. (The creators of Rainbow Brite were on to something.) Canadian color expert Janice Lindsay says that “young children like clean and vibrant colors, especially warm ones, and are more attracted to color than shape” — making a strong case for using tie-dye in children’s bedrooms.
A bold and easily DIY-friendly pattern like tie-dye is such a natural choice in a bare-bones industrial-style space, it’s a wonder you don’t see it used all the time in that context.
It’s not surprising to see millenials embracing this pattern for the same reasons they tend to favor spare organic, industrial and bohemian aesthetics: It’s low-cost and feels refreshingly unfussy and authentic.
It’s not surprising to see millenials embracing this pattern for the same reasons they tend to favor spare organic, industrial and bohemian aesthetics: It’s low-cost and feels refreshingly unfussy and authentic.
Does ombré count? We think so. Dyed textiles impart a human touch to the interior since they remind us of what used to be a physical handicraft. Purists would agree that, to this day, graphic design can hardly mimic the real-life texture and wabi-sabi charm of hand-dyed fabrics.
One of my favorite tricks: Cover the tie-dye pillow with your thumb as you’re viewing this photo. Not the same, is it? Sometimes a single accessory can be that punch that makes all the difference.
If you appreciate a wavy stripe and a DIY project, it wouldn’t be hard to snag these draperies for your own room, in your own color scheme. It’s technically a tie-dye job, but there’s nothing psychedelic about it.
There are parallels between watercolor-inspired and tie-dyed textiles: They’re both loosely patterned and suggest a human touch. So it’s not surprising that painterly florals and stripes have become popular right alongside tie-dyes and batiks. This shade in a London loft is an especially gorgeous application.
This San Clemente pad is all about that California coastal cool. The designer has duplicated that ethos through the quiet ocean blues in the rug and coordinating tie-dyed pillows. A shot of driftwood, a sandy photograph and even the gloss on that photo ensure that many of nature’s coastal textures are exhibited in one space in a way that feels as breathy and effortless as a Pacific breeze.
For the bold and brazen, tie-dye is a great jumping-off point to a room filled with pattern and color. It’s abstract and suggestive, a quality that lends itself well to mixing with all manner of fabrics, from crisp-lined stylized florals or damasks to all-over small-scale patterns like the one on the wall.
More
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In the best possible way, tie-dye is a pattern that doesn’t take itself too seriously and that won’t let anything else in your room take itself too seriously either. It makes a fun counterpoint to these antique wooden chairs, and mixes well with the casual but traditionally styled sofa and ottoman. The whitewashing of the rest of the room lets the funky chairs and bohemian pennant banner play the harmony in this musician’s abode.