The Herringbone – Subtle Pattern for Your Homes

April 27, 2018

When you think of Herringbone, you’ll probably think of flooring, namely parquet, but there’s been an emergence of this pattern filtering through to other interior design elements. And if you’re not so keen on in your face pattern and are looking to add a little visual interest in a more subtle way, you may want to consider utilising this fabulous pattern throughout your home.

The Herringbone – Subtle Pattern for Your Homes

Oak Parquet Flooring – Bathbespoke

Considering the Herringbone pattern has been around for centuries and has never gone away, you know that you really can’t go wrong. It actually dates back to the Roman Empire where it was used from buildings to roadways. It’s not difficult to see why it’s remained hugely popular in lots of different areas of our lives from the clothes we wear to the typical flooring we know and love today.

It can also be traced back to Egyptian times with the jewellery that was worn by the elite and the earliest Herringbone fabrics have been discovered in Ancient Italy, proving its a truly versatile and much-loved pattern.

Original Style – Artworks Vintage White Half Tile

I love this pattern because of its uniformity. Its pattern repeat adds a sense of stability to a space as well as being visually pleasing. It’s easy on the eye because our brains instantly see order and a sense of balance much like symmetry achieves in our homes.

Baked Tiles – Urban Brick – Create the ultimate urban space with this distressed collection of industrial tiles.

We’re used to seeing it on floors especially wooden parquet and it’s great for helping achieve a sense of space in smaller rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens. The eye is drawn outwards with the Herringbone pattern so if you have a narrow room or corridor this would be perfect for creating the illusion of space.

Of course, you don’t have to go to the extent of ripping up your floors to introduce herringbone to your homes, there are a number of ways to add a bit of visual order with this delectable pattern.

I’ve tracked down some of the latest designs on offer as designers are embracing Herringbone in wonderful alternative elements for you to introduce it to your homes. Although, I admit some are actually a pattern relative Chevron, which can often cause some confusion between the two.

The difference between Chevron and Herringbone patterns it’s all in the zigzag. Chevron patterns have a continuous zigzag design whereas the Herringbone pattern has a broken zigzag design.

Walls

Ekdahl Wallpaper by Karlie Klum Available in a choice of four colourways; Grey, Navy, Blue and Black. – Limelace

With the wallpaper trend continuing to grow, you may want to jump on board and introduce some Herringbone pattern to your walls like this beautiful, stylish Ekdahl Wallpaper by Karlie Klum from Lime Lace. It’s a great space changer particularly if you have low ceilings or narrow space as the Herringbone pattern helps draw the eye outwards and upwards at the same time. This provides the illusion of making a space feel larger than it actually is and would make a great feature wall in a small room.

Antique Crackle Metro Tiles – Walls & Floors

And then there are tiles that you can introduce this fab pattern to your homes such as kitchens and bathroom areas. Stop just over midway and you create a wonderful contrast between the pattern and painted surface that draws the eye outwards which is great for creating a sense of length/width to a room. It may be a little overwhelming to tile the whole wall/s, so maybe consider using to highlight one particular area in your room.

Winchester Residence Agapanthus Brick Herringbone. Give your bathroom or kitchen a crisp fresh look with these narrow brick tiles available in 12 colours. Original Style

Of course, there’s also the option of opting for colour. It’s all down to personal preference and how brave and bold you’re willing to go. Remember, your home should reflect what you love, after all, you live there.

Floors

Herringbone Cotton Rug in Indigo as Stair Runner Dash & Albert

What better way to introduce Herringbone but in the form of a hard-wearing rug as a stair runner. It adds a subtle pop of pattern as well as being an affordable way to dress your stairs. This particular one is from Dash & Albert who produce some rather fabulous rugs for the home and your outdoor spaces. This particular one is also reversible so great when you want to change the look of a space. It’s also available in other colours, so you may want to check them out. They ship worldwide too!

Ted Baker Agave Deep Purple Rug – Modern Rugs

If you don’t want to be getting messy and incur the cost of ripping up your floors for tiles or parquet then, maybe look to introduce some colour and fun with a rug like this contemporary Ted Baker Agave rug. It would be great for defining an area in an open plan space and don’t forget that rugs are great at helping to absorb sound. Rugs are an instant fix to add some surface pattern and texture as well as the comfort factor underfoot.

Chevron Floor – Baked Tiles

Another chevron closely related Herringbone number but I wanted to show you how you can give your flooring a modern take whether it be Chevron or Herringbone. I love the use of colour that provides a transition from one space to another which is particularly beneficial to open plan spaces where one space flows into another. They help draw the eye, making a great visual pathway as well as helping define zones within these type of spaces. You can explore The Baked Tile Companies full range by clicking above.

Furniture

Ziggy Sideboard Atkin & Thyme

I’m loving this Ziggy sideboard with its distinctive zig-zag surface pattern, which is carefully crafted from mango wood and is reminiscent of traditional parquet flooring. Perfect for adding some textural qualities and pattern to a living room space.

Ashanti Bedside Chest – Atkin & Thyme

A softer approach with a tribal-inspired bedside table that’s been crafted from solid carved mango wood. It adds warmth and subtle detail and textural qualities, perfect for bedroom spaces.

Mixing Herringbone With Other Patterns

Herringbone Indoor/Outdoor Rug in French Blue (NEW FOR SS18) Dash & Albert

The Herringbone pattern contrasts beautifully when you mix it with other patterns from stripes to florals. Use different scaled patterns to add diversity to your spaces and create more interest. This is particularly great if you’re not one for colour and like to keep your colour palettes simple. By offering your eye contrasting shapes and patterns, your eye can be drawn to different parts of a room so use it to highlight certain areas with rugs, cushions and throws.

Accessories

Adding herringbone patterns through smaller choice accessories is easy with these fab finds.

Pea Pod Tea Towel – Thornback and Peel hand screen printed linen tea towel – Annabel James

Made in Great Britain by Thornback & Peel, this tea towel adds a mixture of fresh colour with traditional imagery, which celebrates the quirkiness of British humour and design. A popping 1960s inspired herringbone pattern in a fresh pea green that could have been picked straight from the vegetable patch.

TWEEDMILL Pure New Wool Herringbone Cushion – Vintage Black By Design

When you think the likes of Clark Gable wore black on grey herringbone suits back in the day, adorning your homes with some fabulous textiles might help improve your homes good looks and get you swooning over them. This cushion from the Black by Design is from Welsh manufacturer Tweedmill and is woven from pure new wool which has great eco-friendly benefits (you can find out more about wools incredible environmental qualities here). It’s also a great way to add texture and style to your room and they ship worldwide too.

Lene Bjerre Macy Flower Pot Sweetpea & Willow

Gorgeous greenery just isn’t complete without a perfect pot to plant it in. The Macy Flower Pot from Lene Bjerre is neutral in colour, with a contemporary herringbone pattern ingrained on its outside. Add a cactus or some stunning succulents and you’re on your way to creating your very own tropical paradise.

Green Glass Chevron Globe Vase – Gisela Graham London – Amazon

I simply adore this green globe vase and it’s chevron pattern detail. It’s the closest I could find to the Herringbone pattern in terms of objects for your homes and of course, it’s in my favourite colour green which compliments all colour palettes as it does in nature. What’s great about colour patterned glass is that they also look great empty and don’t have to be hidden away in a cupboard when your blooms fade. I’m seriously considering this for our botanical kitchen, but then I think the Hubs might have a fit as we should be cracking on with other areas of our home, namely our bedroom!

TWEEDMILL Pure New Wool Herringbone Throw – Black By Design

Another beauty from Black by Design is their pure new wool throw which comes in a range of colours to suit your homes or why not grab one for those chilly summer evenings. At least you’ll be cosied up in style and to be honest can we ever have enough throws?

What do we think, are you a Herringbone lover or do you prefer more colourful and larger scale pattern? It’d be great to hear from you.

Until next time, thanks as always for stopping by!

Maria x

P.S. Don’t forget you can sign up to receive more interior related tips as well as the latest trends for your homes below.

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