One of our newest patterns, Millie, is a cheerful gingham print that is available in Moss, Harbor, and Sage colorways. The cute checked design is a longtime designer favorite that can be incorporated in a range of room styles. Below, experts weigh in on how to best style gingham all throughout the home.
Go Contemporary
Though gingham is often seen as pretty conventional, note that you can definitely style gingham with contemporary pieces if you’d like, notes Jamie Gasparovic, the founder of Studio Gaspo. “Most people think of gingham as preppy or traditional, but I’d love to flip the script on that,” she says. “Gingham can absolutely be the cool girl, too, it just needs the right context.” A bit of contrast will work wonders, the designer explains. “Think adding gingham to a space with leather accents and oversized abstract art, or pairing it with a moody palette and unexpected textures like an industrial metal mesh or concrete,” she says. “When done right, gingham can feel bold, edgy, and way more editorial than country club."
Laura Bebber agrees that gingham can look equally wonderful whether styled in a traditional space or a more modern one. “Pair it with a contrasting primary color and you get vintage vibes,” says the founder of Lark Design. “Layer it with varying shades of the same color and throw in a mix of textures, suddenly it feels elevated and modern.”
Be Mindful When Choosing Patterns
When it comes to choosing other patterns to use in a room with gingham, designers have strong opinions on which are shoe-ins versus which should be avoided.
Checks and florals complement each other wonderfully, shares Bethany Adams. “Evocative of picnics and cottage curtains, gingham pairs beautifully with floral patterns and solids in any texture,” says the founder of Bethany Adams Interiors. That said, due to gingham’s “strong linear pattern,” she advises against using it alongside other graphic prints. “A very small scale polka dot may be the exception to this,” Bebber explains. “That would be a darling pairing.”
Don’t Be Shy About Going Bold
Finally, keep in mind that it’s more than ok to use gingham on larger furniture pieces if you’re really looking to make a splash with the design. “Don’t forget that ginghams don’t have to play small,” says Kim Macumber, the founder of Kim Macumber Interiors, who once used the print on a settee in her kitchen. “I still miss it!!
