Decorating
Decorating 101: Name That Pattern
Patterns can add delight or a touch of drama to any decorating scheme, and there are plenty to know. Here's how to identify a few of them
Patterns are everywhere – whether natural, such as the grain of wood, or designed like an intricately detailed wallpaper – and are limitless in their variety. Patterns add visual detail to our world and can be used to bring character, aesthetic value, colour or warmth to a space, or to highlight specific features. Here’s a glossary of patterns that can be seen in contemporary and traditional houses today.
Trellis
A trellis is both an architectural structure and, in this case, a pattern with an open framework, or lattice. Interwoven and intersecting pieces create a variety of forms that resemble trellis drainage patterns, a type of topography composed of tributary streams.
Weave trellis patterns into your home
A trellis is both an architectural structure and, in this case, a pattern with an open framework, or lattice. Interwoven and intersecting pieces create a variety of forms that resemble trellis drainage patterns, a type of topography composed of tributary streams.
Weave trellis patterns into your home
Paisley
Paisley is a twisted teardrop-shaped vegetable motif of Persian origin. While it became popular in the West in the 18th and 19th centuries when the British imported fabrics from India, its name is derived from the Scottish town of Paisley, a textile centre that produced the intricate fig-shaped designs.
Paisley is a twisted teardrop-shaped vegetable motif of Persian origin. While it became popular in the West in the 18th and 19th centuries when the British imported fabrics from India, its name is derived from the Scottish town of Paisley, a textile centre that produced the intricate fig-shaped designs.
Damask
Damask is a figured fabric with a reversible pattern. It is woven with one warp yarn and one weft, and commonly features patterns of flowers, fruit, and other Islamic-inspired designs.
Damasks take their name from the city of Damascus, an illustrious stop on the Silk Road, and have their roots in the Islamic and Byzantine weaving centres of the early Middle Ages. Italians began to weave damasks in the 14th century, using one bright glossy colour atop a duller background, and sometimes with gold or other metallic threads.
Damask is a figured fabric with a reversible pattern. It is woven with one warp yarn and one weft, and commonly features patterns of flowers, fruit, and other Islamic-inspired designs.
Damasks take their name from the city of Damascus, an illustrious stop on the Silk Road, and have their roots in the Islamic and Byzantine weaving centres of the early Middle Ages. Italians began to weave damasks in the 14th century, using one bright glossy colour atop a duller background, and sometimes with gold or other metallic threads.
Ikat
Ikat means ‘to tie’ or ‘to bind’ in Indonesian, and the ikat pattern is formed from a dying technique similar to tie-dying. Yarns – before they are woven – are tightly wrapped and dyed to create a desired pattern. The bindings are removed when finished and woven into cloth. In ikat, both fabric faces are patterned because the surface design is created in the yarns rather than on the finished cloth.
Ikat textiles appear blurry, which is the result of the difficulty in lining up the dyed yarns so the pattern comes out perfectly.
Ikat means ‘to tie’ or ‘to bind’ in Indonesian, and the ikat pattern is formed from a dying technique similar to tie-dying. Yarns – before they are woven – are tightly wrapped and dyed to create a desired pattern. The bindings are removed when finished and woven into cloth. In ikat, both fabric faces are patterned because the surface design is created in the yarns rather than on the finished cloth.
Ikat textiles appear blurry, which is the result of the difficulty in lining up the dyed yarns so the pattern comes out perfectly.
Bird’s-eye
The bird’s-eye pattern is a diamond shape, sometimes with a dot at its centre suggesting the eye of a bird, hence the name.
The bird’s-eye pattern is a diamond shape, sometimes with a dot at its centre suggesting the eye of a bird, hence the name.
Polka dots
A polka dot pattern consists of multiple dots composed into a regular or irregular pattern. The sizes of the dots may or may not vary and they may be equally spaced or randomly placed.
Playful patterns to wake up to
A polka dot pattern consists of multiple dots composed into a regular or irregular pattern. The sizes of the dots may or may not vary and they may be equally spaced or randomly placed.
Playful patterns to wake up to
Greek key
The Greek key is also known as ‘meander’ or ‘meandros’, perhaps for the way the linear pattern meanders around edges and borders. It is constructed from a continuous line that forms a repeated and geometric motif. Commonly seen in ancient Greece, it appears in architecture and pottery and is an iconic characteristic of the Classical era.
The Greek key is also known as ‘meander’ or ‘meandros’, perhaps for the way the linear pattern meanders around edges and borders. It is constructed from a continuous line that forms a repeated and geometric motif. Commonly seen in ancient Greece, it appears in architecture and pottery and is an iconic characteristic of the Classical era.
Basketweave
Resembling basketwork, this pattern is composed of multiple horizontal strands and vertical strands that appear to overlap and underlap one another in a regular and ordered fashion.
Resembling basketwork, this pattern is composed of multiple horizontal strands and vertical strands that appear to overlap and underlap one another in a regular and ordered fashion.
Harlequin
Bold and elongated diamonds are the feature of the harlequin print, which was first introduced in women’s fashion in the 1940s. The pattern consists of alternating colours of diamonds.
Bold and elongated diamonds are the feature of the harlequin print, which was first introduced in women’s fashion in the 1940s. The pattern consists of alternating colours of diamonds.
Houndstooth or dogstooth
Going by the name of houndstooth or dogstooth, this is a duo-tone textile pattern with abstract four-pointed shapes in a checkerboard layout. It originated in the Scottish Lowlands as a woven wool cloth, and has been a recurring fashion item over the last century. It has been employed by everyone from Christian Dior to Alexander McQueen, and is even a branding pattern for the David Jones department store.
Browse more black-and-white decorating schemes
Going by the name of houndstooth or dogstooth, this is a duo-tone textile pattern with abstract four-pointed shapes in a checkerboard layout. It originated in the Scottish Lowlands as a woven wool cloth, and has been a recurring fashion item over the last century. It has been employed by everyone from Christian Dior to Alexander McQueen, and is even a branding pattern for the David Jones department store.
Browse more black-and-white decorating schemes
Plaid or tartan
Plaid or tartan consists of crossed horizontal and vertical bands in two or more colours, and hails from Scotland where it’s seen on Scottish kilts.
Plaid or tartan consists of crossed horizontal and vertical bands in two or more colours, and hails from Scotland where it’s seen on Scottish kilts.
Argyle
Derived from Scottish tartan, the argyle pattern is comprised of a series of overlapping diamonds for a layered motif. Some diamonds are solid, while others are just an outline, and they are offset so as to intersect in a regular fashion.
Derived from Scottish tartan, the argyle pattern is comprised of a series of overlapping diamonds for a layered motif. Some diamonds are solid, while others are just an outline, and they are offset so as to intersect in a regular fashion.
Checkerboard
The classic and sophisticated checkerboard pattern has alternating black and white squares resembling the game board in checkers or chess.
The classic and sophisticated checkerboard pattern has alternating black and white squares resembling the game board in checkers or chess.
Gingham check
Gingham was traditionally a type of simple woven cotton or linen cloth with a small checked pattern (although it was originally stripes) that features vertical and horizontal stripes of two colours, with darker squares where the stripes overlap. The gingham pattern is most commonly red, blue or green with white.
Gingham was traditionally a type of simple woven cotton or linen cloth with a small checked pattern (although it was originally stripes) that features vertical and horizontal stripes of two colours, with darker squares where the stripes overlap. The gingham pattern is most commonly red, blue or green with white.
Chevron
The chevron has a long legacy as being one of the common insignia patterns in heraldry and rankings, often spotted on various coats of arms and military or police uniforms. The chevron is an inverted V and when a series of chevrons are combined, it results in a zig-zag pattern that is generally composed of two alternating colours. The chevron is also associated with Art Deco architecture from the 1920s and ’30s, when designers emphasised more geometric forms.
Patterns to partner with chevron
The chevron has a long legacy as being one of the common insignia patterns in heraldry and rankings, often spotted on various coats of arms and military or police uniforms. The chevron is an inverted V and when a series of chevrons are combined, it results in a zig-zag pattern that is generally composed of two alternating colours. The chevron is also associated with Art Deco architecture from the 1920s and ’30s, when designers emphasised more geometric forms.
Patterns to partner with chevron
Herringbone
The herringbone pattern has similarities to the chevron. However, in contrast to the chevron that comes to a sharp point, the herringbone is staggered. Rectangular or parallelogram-shaped tiles are positioned to create an interlocking pattern, reminiscent of fish bones, such as the herring.
FUN FACT: The pattern was used in road building during the Roman Empire, because it is extremely strong under pressure.
The herringbone pattern has similarities to the chevron. However, in contrast to the chevron that comes to a sharp point, the herringbone is staggered. Rectangular or parallelogram-shaped tiles are positioned to create an interlocking pattern, reminiscent of fish bones, such as the herring.
FUN FACT: The pattern was used in road building during the Roman Empire, because it is extremely strong under pressure.
Ombre
‘Ombre’ means shading or shadow and is used to describe the gradual blending of one colour into another. Like a gradient, the shades typically move between light and dark.
Let dip-dye creep up on your home
‘Ombre’ means shading or shadow and is used to describe the gradual blending of one colour into another. Like a gradient, the shades typically move between light and dark.
Let dip-dye creep up on your home
Geometric
Geometric patterns combine squares, rectangles, circles, triangles and a variety of other elemental shapes. While they certainly existed before the emergence of Modernism in the early 1900s, they really came to the fore with avant-garde design movements and schools of the 1920s, such as Bauhaus and De Stijl. As designers reduced objects and patterns to their rational and universal forms, they combined geometric shapes to make bold patterns.
Geometric patterns combine squares, rectangles, circles, triangles and a variety of other elemental shapes. While they certainly existed before the emergence of Modernism in the early 1900s, they really came to the fore with avant-garde design movements and schools of the 1920s, such as Bauhaus and De Stijl. As designers reduced objects and patterns to their rational and universal forms, they combined geometric shapes to make bold patterns.
Stripes
A striped pattern is composed of a series of stripes in two or more alternating colours. Stripes can run horizontal, vertical and diagonal, and the width of each stripe may be regular or irregular.
TELL US
What’s your favourite pattern? Tell us where you’ve successfully used it in a decorating scheme at home.
MORE
Browse a gallery of plaids and stripes
A striped pattern is composed of a series of stripes in two or more alternating colours. Stripes can run horizontal, vertical and diagonal, and the width of each stripe may be regular or irregular.
TELL US
What’s your favourite pattern? Tell us where you’ve successfully used it in a decorating scheme at home.
MORE
Browse a gallery of plaids and stripes
‘Toile de Jouy,’ also abbreviated to ‘toile,’ is a complex decorative pattern typically based on a pastoral theme. It combines a white or off-white background with a single-colour repeated scene, which is often black, dark red or blue.
Originally produced in Ireland in the mid-18th century, this pattern became popular in Britain and France and almost looks like a European version of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain.