From Scalamandré's Zebras to a pair of banana leaf prints, these instantly-recognizable patterns are always on trend.
Wallpaper trends might come and go, but some prints never seem to go out of style. From the whimsy of Scalamandré's leaping zebras, the romance of Bowood chintz, the retro vibes of a David Hicks motif or the timeless appeal of Sister Parish, we've rounded up some of the iconic patterns that have captivated generations of design lovers. Read on for the stories behind them—and to see the stunning ways decorators are using them today.
Back in 2006, decorator Sheila Bridges released Harlem Toile, a reinterpretation of the classic French toile de jouy motif that intersperses the usual pastoral scenes with modern-day African American life in the Manhattan neighborhood where Bridges lives. Nearly a quarter century later, her design has become a true classic in the worlds of both interior design (it's part of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum's permanent collection) and fashion (check out Bridges's collaborations with Converse and Union Los Angeles).
Bridges originally designed the pattern for her own home (she used the yellow colorway in her kitchen).
Developed from a post-World War II folio of photographs and introduced into the Brunschwig & Fils collection in 1965, Les Touches is a longtime decorator go-to—in fact, it's so popular that Brunschwig recently released both the wallcovering and matching fabric in nine new colorways.
Danielle Rollins went all-out with Les Touches (and matching blue lacquer) in the butler's pantry of her Atlanta home.
The legendary Sister Parish designed this famous print, which she named after one of her best friends, for her own Maine summer house. Sister Parish Design re-introduced the pattern as part of its fabric and wallpaper line in 2000.
This Dallas guest room by Cathy Kincaid is the designer's homage to Parish. "I'm friends with her granddaughter, Susan Crater, and I once stayed in the guest room at Mrs. Parish's summer house in Maine. Everything was exactly the way she had designed it, as if she still lived there and had just gone out for a walk on the beach," she told House Beautiful.
When Gino Circiello needed help decorating his eponymous Manhattan restaurant in the mid-1940s, he called upon his friend Flora Scalamandré of the famed textile and wallpaper house. Faced with a tight budget and "shoe box" dimensions, per the New York Times, Scalamandré decided to create a show-stopping zebra motif for the walls. Gino closed in 2010, but the wallpaper lives on.
Designer Starrett Ringbom used this powder room favorite (see: The Royal Tenenbaums) in the Gramercy apartment of a client who'd grown up going to Gino's.
While renovating the Lyford Cay Club in the Bahamas, decorator Tom Scheerer worked with Quadrille to create this take on a classic bamboo trellis pattern. "The paper is evocative of the trellised garden rooms in the great French houses and clearly influenced by the chinoiserie decoration that was the rage in 18th and 19th century France," says Quadrille's John Fondas.
Scheerer often uses the wall covering in his own projects, like this Dallas dining room.
Josef Frank, the prolific Austrian architect and designer, hand-drew the original Citrus Garden motif in 1947. It remains one of his most recognizable designs—and a favorite for designers looking to impart a bit of whimsy into any space.
Lindsay MacRae created an eclectic powder room using Frank's colorful design.
Based on a 19th century fabric remnant that decorator John Fowler found at Bowood House in Wiltshire, England, this chintz print has been in production since 1938.
Architect Gil Schafer used the wallcovering—a favorite for bedrooms—from floor to ceiling in the guest room of his Millbrook, New York house.
Based on an 18th century motif, this ikat amassed loyal followers including the late Estée Lauder, who used it in the bedroom of her Hamptons home in the 1970s.
Dallas decorator Beverly Field chose the "Rose Ancien" colorway for a pattern-filled guest room.
David Hicks, one of the most well-known designers in British history, created this vase motif for Clarence House in the mid-1970s.
Krista Ewart used the pattern to brighten up her home's breakfast nook. "The yellow is so fresh and sunny!" she says.
Cole & Son's beloved birch tree motif, which turns 60 this year, was originally taken from a screen print designed by a group of students at London's Royal College of Art.
In a bunk room by Colorado's Studio 80 Interior Design, Woods makes for a fun treehouse vibe.
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