Decorating Guides
14 Rooms Abloom With Modern-Day Chintz
Have a field day with your interior decorating, using unpretentiously pretty floral patterns in a refreshingly updated way
Chintz can be tricky. Its bold, old-fashioned flower prints can so easily tip into fusty English bed-and-breakfast if you're not careful. But if you are careful, it can add color, texture and a touch of classic elegance to your decor.
Maybe it's chintz's current unpopularity that makes it an excellent antidote to overly trendy, high-minded design. It pops up most often these days in Shabby Chic–style rooms, but even there it seems to have been pushed aside in favor of grain sack.
I especially love an unexpected dose of chintz in modern decor. It warms things up, and a little goes a long way. But the best thing about chintz may be the feeling that it doesn't take itself too seriously. With chintz you can really get comfy.
Here are 14 examples of chintz done right.
Maybe it's chintz's current unpopularity that makes it an excellent antidote to overly trendy, high-minded design. It pops up most often these days in Shabby Chic–style rooms, but even there it seems to have been pushed aside in favor of grain sack.
I especially love an unexpected dose of chintz in modern decor. It warms things up, and a little goes a long way. But the best thing about chintz may be the feeling that it doesn't take itself too seriously. With chintz you can really get comfy.
Here are 14 examples of chintz done right.
I'm a sucker for all kinds of multifabric upholstery, but this bit of chintz on this staid and elegant settee really makes the room. It adds the perfect touch of color and personality.
A subtle chintz on these two plush chairs gives what could have been a boring beige room a feminine elegance.
Shabby Chic–inspired style meets boho eclectic in this bare, pink room with a simple chintz curtain.
More modern boho with a splash of chintz. In this setting there is nothing Grandma about it.
Chintz doesn't have to be girly-girl. Just add a stag head and the room will go a bit 19th-century English hunting house.
I love the mix of all these patterns: preppy stripes with classic chintz, Oriental rugs and a bit of chinoiserie thrown in for good measure. Bring it on.
A modern black and white chintz pattern. It adds a little warmth to this modern room. But not too much.
Chintz with the absence of accompanying frills. It's feminine but still modern and uncluttered.
Another spot of chintz in a cozy corner.
Pow! A bold, modern take on a chintz pattern enlivens this little kitchen.
Here the chintz-pattern wallpaper is the perfect balance for the black and white symmetry of the floor.
A contemporary chintz-like pattern makes all the difference in this room. Imagine the space without it — spec-house beige.
This little ruffle of chintz fabric under the sink is perfect in this '50s-inspired kitchen.