Trend Watch: Malachite Patterns for Interiors

What is gorgeous, green and gaining ground as pattern for interiors? Malachite. A mineral that has been mined for thousands of years, it's intense color and pseudo psychedelic swirls make it a timely mix of classical influence and hippie glam. We found a few examples and sources to support the trend:

Shown above, top row, left to right:

1. The malachite-inspired design of the Viceroy Miami by Kelly Wearstler.
2. Pillows made from "Gemstone" fabric from the Tony Duquette collection for Jim Thompson
3. Malachite 30x30" Tile from Aqua Imperial
4. Malchite Wallpaper from Cole & Son (We saw this used in Summer Thornton's room at the current Dream Home - it's amazing in person!)
5. A decorative paint finish by Mark Chamberlain (Here is the How-To)

Bottom row, left to right:

6. Faux Malchite Jewelry Box from Global Views
7. Malachite Rug from the Tony Duquette collection for Roubini Rugs
8. Faux Malchite Topped Accent Table from Accent Furniture Direct
9. A hunk of the real stuff from Ruzzetti & Gow
10. And, if you want to be totally in sync with your newly decked out malachite living room, you could always wear this Michael Kors dress!

(Images: as linked above)

Comments (18)

the moment i saw that lobby
it said
kelly wearstler
as tom hulce said in amadeus
Mozart: [hesitantly] I never knew that music like that was possible!
Salieri: [uncertainly] You flatter me.
Mozart: No, no! One hears such sounds, and what can one say but... ”Salieri."

Love the dress and the pillows. For the rest of it, what she said.

It's one thing to take something that could have been made of stone and make it appear to be stone - such as those boxes or tabletops...

...but fabric dyed and printed to look like stone? Ugh.

chesterntrudy, you put it perfectly.

That lobby and that dress are atrocious. Maybe in smaller amounts it would be...nope, never mind.

In small doses it could be okay...like the pillows and boxes, but not in big swathes.

Call me Zsa Zsa but I like the wallpaper.

I'm not a big fan of faux finishes, but on the pillows it looks less to me like a faux finish and more an abstract, organic pattern in a rich color. So, pillows: yes, walls: no for me.

Yes, in small doses it could be OK...for instance, if it were an actual gemstone in a case in a geology museum.

I'm reminded of my great grandmother when I look at malachite. Her apartment had two malachite-topped end tables. I was a child and wasn't allowed in the living room because I might make a mess. So no I am not a fan of this trend.

I remember this kind of thing when I was a little kid in the 80s, flipping through issues of Metropolitan Home. Didn't like it then, don't like it now.

I like this look -- for my secret underground lair.

This is as hideous as all the faux bois or whatever you call it over there to mask the fact that it's nothing but fake wood (like calling something in French would make it more appealing). Always - I repeat ALWAYS - go for the real thing and if you can't, just accept your limited budget. You can't work around this one, so work with something else. I think I need to throw up.

(I was referring to the "malachite", not malachite obviously.)

What? No pic of the Malachite Room at Grand Trianon, Versailles?

sally305, why does it have to be in a geology museum? I have three pieces on my dresser! (And one with azurite. And yes, they're in a case. ...Yes, I collect minerals.)