Style guide
Trending: Animal prints
As our Paloma Home, a range of sofas by Paloma Faith, has now launched I thought it was the perfect opportunity to explore the animal print trend and take tips from Paloma herself on how to embrace the wild prints in your home.
27th June 2023
From leopard spots, snake skins and zebra stripes – animal prints have forever been an iconic style.
Sometimes considered a look of required taste, the animal print aesthetic is a wonderfully adventurous way to add personality and pattern to the home, demonstrating courage and bringing a glamorous yet daring vibrancy to a living space.
The beauty of animal prints is you don’t have to go full swing to embrace a bit of the tropical theme.
There are many ways to integrate this exciting trend into your home without it looking like it’s been taken over by a zoo.
Lets explore together as I share my advice on how to take a walk on the wild side with animal prints, including top tips from singer and style idol, Paloma Faith.
How to blend animal print into your décor
Deciding to add a bit of animal into your décor needn’t be a jungle journey.
If you don’t want your prints to stand out too much, create a cohesive scheme by choosing patterns which compliment your current colour palette.
Due to their diversity, animal prints work well with other colours and can be easily integrated into any scheme.
Whether your bedroom boasts pretty pastels or your living room is a lively shade, using a consistent colour throughout will bring the décor together – even if the prints and patterns differ.
Animal prints work well as either accents or larger covers and even a small hint of the animal trend will add character and visual interest in a room.
If you’re not confident with colours and prints, the key is not to go too overboard. Weave pattern and colour into your room with some playful prints and animal motifs on cushions.
Alternatively, go larger and bolder with a plush leopard print style rug or a fabulous tiger print footstool.
Paloma Home Cushions
Down to Earth footstool by Paloma Home
How to use animal print on furniture
If you want to use animal prints to add a wow factor to your décor, a bold piece can be a stunning attraction.
Make a statement with a larger item such as an animal print sofa or chair with an old-style frame and add some animal-inspired upholstery to create an intriguing and unexpected contrast.
The addition of a fabulously designed tiger print armchair or leopard print sofa would take a starring role in any living room.
Paloma’s personal favourite piece from her home range is the tiger print covered sofa from her Spiced Up collection:
“I am obsessed with this mid-century range, with its brass details and bolster cushions. It comes in three colours, but… never one for being plain, my all-time favourite colourway is the tiger print.”
Animal print furniture isn’t just for the sitting room but can be used to add character to any area in the home.
Add an exotic feel to the dining room with some leopard dining chairs, or infuse some excitement into your home office with a fun animal print swivel chair.
An animal print occasional chair is also a fantastic way to put some character into a bedroom or dressing room.
If leopard or tiger prints feel a touch on the wild side, the wavy stripes of zebra print furniture is a tamer choice as, though still an interesting animal print, it is more subdued compared to other designs.
You can find zebra print in a myriad of shades but the traditional black and white presents itself perfectly for a contemporary twist on the timeless monochrome trend.
Alternatively, find the pattern in some subtle pastel shades for a softer look.
Spiced Up sofa by Paloma Home
LLB Portobello fabric chaise lounger
What colours go well with animal print?
The truth is there are no rules when it comes to which colours go with animal print.
If you’d prefer something subdued, opt for pale or nude palettes and stick to one colour scheme to make the space feel streamlined.
Alternatively, if you’re not afraid to fiercely throw yourself into colour, choosing different shades on opposite ends of the colour spectrum will create a vibrant masterpiece, as Paloma explains:
“If you haven’t injected colour into your home yet – where have you been?! My advice is, the more colours the better. There are some great compliments on the colour wheel, such as purple and yellow, red and green, and orange and blue.”
Can you mix animal prints?
Yes, you can! If you can’t decide which animal print is your favourite, why should you have to choose?
If you’d like to have different prints in a space, try mixing multiple patterns in the same colour palette to create a cohesive scheme and give the room a seamless flow.
Otherwise, different animal prints can come together to create a brilliantly unique and eclectic aesthetic.
“I view animal prints as a neutral.” Admits Paloma.
“A lot of people say you can’t do clashing patterns but I don’t view animal print fabrics as patterns. I think of animal print as a colour. I put them together; I put them with different patterns and you can accessorise them in any way.”
“The brilliant thing about the Paloma Home range is that everything is intermixable. They all go together, so you can pick any correlation (of items) and they will look good.”
If you did want to break up multiple patterns, “add colour blocks in between to make it work for you.”
If you want to make animal print the main theme of the room, it may be a good idea to start with one piece, pattern or print and use that as inspiration when decorating your room. Paloma advises:
“My interior style is a bit like how I dress myself. I usually find one object - a cushion or a rug that I like – and then I create the room around it… like I would an outfit.
Every room in my house is curated to (express) a different mood or a different part of my personality.”
For more inspiration on using your living space to show off your individual style, read our article, 5 ways to add personality into your home.
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