Most people don't have neutral feelings about chintz: they either love it or hate it. Regardless of your feelings, it's undeniable that the floral patterned glazed fabrics are utterly Victorian, utterly romantic, and perfect to appreciate on Valentine's day.
Damask roses, primroses, and rounded florals of every variety characterize these glazed calico fabrics that originated in Europe during the 1600s. Modernized and updated in bold, bright colors, chintz was all the rage in the 80's — designers would do entire rooms nuts to bolts in the same fabric. Chintz is usually seen in small doses when used in contemporary interiors.
It's always fun to graze the pages of International shelter magazines and inevitably see images of vintage, aged Victorian furniture covered in faded chintz fabrics that seem a perfect fit for the antique-filled old spaces they occupy (image 1). Also popular is to use chintz in frilly slipcovers or window treatments, pairing the soft appearance with more tailored upholstery and traditional artwork (as in images 2 and 5). Designers use it as a way to add a casual touch, or to break up the formality of a room. There's a unofficial theory amongst old fashioned decorators that chintz goes with anything.
Traditionally, using the same chintz for the drapery, chairs and pillows was the way designers went about it (images 3, 4, 8). The look is romantic, warm, layered, and slightly feminine. For a sharper aesthetic, these days usually a single piece of furniture, such as a settee or a single statement chair, will be covered in chintz, and be the only piece in the room with that particular fabric (images 7, 9 and 10).
Do you have any chintz in your space? Was it inherited or is something new? How do you use this romantic fabric?
FIRST ROW
1. House and Home
3. Houzz
4. Laura Kirar Design via Houzz
5. Veranda.
SECOND ROW
1. House Beautiful
2. Coco + Kelley
3. Nibs Blog
4. High Street Market
5. Ruthie Sommers via Deliciously Determined
(Images: As credited above)
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Blech. This is only attractive when accompanied by a smart remark from Lady Grantham.
I love this, completely. My favorite is diana vreelands red floral room.
I like it a lot. I do prefer it in small doses, like a particular piece or small collection, and not the whole room. Comforting reminders of being a child in the UK.
In tiny tiny doses (as in one chair, one stool, etc.) it can be charming. A room full of it looks too dusty and old south for me. I have aunts who have accents of chintz in their homes, but they have all managed to keep it to a minimum. I could never master the look myself.
I have two beautiful wood chairs with chintz upholstered seats that were in my grandma's bedroom. The chairs are lovely but the fabric, well it is a bit ... chintzy. I might not mind it if it were in more masculine or neutral colors but buttercup yellow with pink pansies is a bit much.
#9, The green room above is to die for.
Oh, I just can't do it. I tried to want to be ok with it, but no. It would have to be done in a truly ironic kind of way for me appreciate the old school floral patterns.
Want to love this but it all looks so old. Like pages of House Beautiful from 1994. I'd love to see a fresh look at chintz.
@thorndale - Agreed. #9 is my favourite too.
not for me. when i think of romantic decor, i think of lovely textures, warmth, cozy, soft lighting. the sort of bed you never want to get out of. all i get from this is my grandmother's condo in miami.
Ditto Mary E and Maybe Someday. In small touches and contemporary colors and patterns only. Otherwise, chintz is fussy and twee and should be neither seen nor heard. I'm all for deposing the Prince of Chintz and permanently altering the line of succession.
So much badness. There are a few choice pieces here that I totally love, but these rooms end up looking either like they have gone WAY overboard, or like they're not really cohesive in any way.
Overall, I'm gonna pass on all of these.
Chintz is one of those things where a little goes a long way. One chair in a lively chintz can work beautifully, particularly in a romantic/cottage decor -- but it seems like chintz lovers are also lovers of excess, because you rarely find a room with just one piece of chintz. Drapes plus multiple pieces of furniture is too much, I think. The pattern ceases to be pretty and eye-catching and just becomes so much visual noise.
Only if I would live in a castle!
I am glad AT features rooms/styles like this once in awhile. It gives readers different perspective and knowledge.
Chintz is one of those things that I love, love, love looking at, but don't think I could live with. So hard to do right.
i want to appreciate the beautiful fabric..but i keep getting distracted by the skirts on all of the furniture!! They remind me of sofa covers...and that feels tacky!
Most chintz is just not gothic enough for me. And when it is it's usually to expensive. I like pics 6,7 and find 10 really striking. Mainly I only like it when the owner likes it. If you love chintz and it makes you happy then probably it will make me happy too. But if it's in my house I'll probably dye it black. lol!
blech? lol !
#7 is the only one I even half like. If something's going to be chintz, it has to be very tailored - no ruffles, no skirt, no matching or slightly mismatched throw pillows on it, no tufts, no gathers. Chintz should be seen and not heard as far as I'm concerned. All the detail of the fabric plus the froufrou details of the furniture it's usually on makes me feel likes it's screaming for attention.
LOVE chintz. images 9 and 10 are my favorites here.
Something about #2 just grabs me! I love that painting!
I only like this is very small doses. Number 9 is lovely, and 3 and 5 are okay, but otherwise it's just too much. Too twee.
Don't forget about Elsie De Wolfe, who had a significant hand in popularizing chintz in the early 1900s.
"nuts to bolts" <--- I think what you mean to say is "soup to nuts."