Ruffles in Interior Design

What girl doesn’t love a ruffle or two now and again? Well, the continuing ruffle trend in fashion – from BoHo to Retro to Romantic – shows up and develops further in interior design…and I don’t mean your grandmother’s ruffled English country look either.

Sure, ruffles have long been spotted on a pillow edge here or chair skirt there, but today, ruffles are sometimes the main story – not the spice. Today, you’ll see wonderful pillows that show ruffles running THROUGH the pillows themselves rather than simply bordering them. And best of all – for those of us who like to design for our clients’ eye catching window treatments and bedding and pillows with fine dress maker details, tailored ruffles are morphing deliciously.

Here’s a photo of me with my daughter and you’ll see that both of us are wearing cascading ruffles.

In home design, those same flat layered ruffles are morphing into sophisticated table skirts, chair covers and throws. I’ve designed some absolutely marvelous pleated ruffles on custom bedding and on custom window treatments in the last few years that make clients ooh and ahh. We’re sticklers for scale and fullness at IDH and so the result is one that is very classic and chic, very on trend – but also timeless – because as you know, I believe in designing beyond trend.

Here are my easy tips to use ruffles in interior design to greatest advantage:

1. Avoid Excess. Understated and fewer are always better.
2. Ruffles trump pattern – Go solid with the fabric to keep things classic and understated.
3. Ruffles add weight – Watch where you place them.
4. Dip your toe in the water with a hobbled Roman shade…they remain architectural, classic and strong elements, but look again and what do you see? A cascade of ruffles.

I could go for a potato chip:)