“Chainmail Chic” Is the Unexpectedly Romantic Trend Taking Over the Design World

Everything old becomes new again, it seems, especially in the world of design. But right now, designers are reaching way back into the past — all the way to the Middle Ages — for inspiration. Apartment Therapy reported on the “modern medieval” trend just a few months ago, citing the return of dark wood furniture, earthy paint colors, and handcrafted accents as hallmarks of the look. But a few edgy designers are taking the medieval aesthetic even further, looking to the battlefield for inspiration and using actual chain links and chainmail to create striking pieces. 

I’m calling it “Chainmail Chic.” From chainmail light fixtures and curtains to coffee tables and even chairs, for the past several months, my Pinterest feed has looked like an armory (and I’m not mad about it). To find out more about the trend, where it came from, and where it’s headed, I spoke with several designers and makers who create or incorporate chainmail into their work.

Chainmail is essentially a fabric made of metal: tiny chain links, usually steel, are woven or welded together by hand to create a protective layer once worn as armor. It was heavy enough to protect knights from blades, but light enough to allow a full range of movement. When you think of armor, chains, or the medieval era, you’re probably not filled with warm and fuzzy feelings. You’re also probably not thinking about any of those things in the context of a home; you’re far more likely to expect to see them in a museum, or on the set of House of the Dragon.

So how did chainmail find its way into interiors? For most of the designers and makers I spoke with, the answer is a fascination with contrast. Chainmail is a cold, hard material that somehow feels soft, light, and surprisingly cozy. “We love how elegant [chainmail] can be,” says Brooklyn-based designer Jaclyn Manes of Manes Studio. She and her husband Josh Manes incorporated several chainmail-inspired accents into their newly opened studio space. It has “a draping quality, like a fabric, but [is] made out of metal — it’s such a rich juxtaposition,” she adds.

Georgia Somary, a London-born, Los Angeles-based designer, knows that juxtaposition better than most. “I like to see [chainmail] as soft,” she says. Somary began her career as a set designer for fantasy films, and later became an armor specialist. “[Working in] the armory allowed me to see steel as a romantic material,” she adds. “It became a material I connected with the ornate … I love to consider it like a piece of jewelry, something quietly sparkling in a space.” And why shouldn’t homes have a little bling, too? 

Now, Somary creates bespoke chainmail lighting and furniture for her shop and design firm, Earl Grey Studios, and she’s still just as inspired by the material. “The way the light slips through the rings is mesmerising to me,” she says. “It’s forever dancing.” Chainmail may no longer serve a practical purpose in the modern world, but it offers a whimsical, romantic effect. For Somary, transforming an object once associated with protection into something beautiful is part of the appeal. And romanticizing the little things — from your lamps, to your coffee table, to your cabinet pulls — will always be a surefire way to keep your home feeling fresh and interesting.

Speaking of romance, I also spoke with Loney Abrams and Johnny Stanish, the brilliant husband-and-wife duo behind Wretched Flowers, one of the names at the helm of the chainmail trend. Known for their work with metals, Abrams and Stanish create stunning custom light fixtures, wall hangings, and more, entirely by hand. The pair met in art school and spent years collaborating on creative projects, just “trying to figure out [their] visual language,” Stanish says. Then just a few years ago, they bought a home in Connecticut and couldn’t find any light fixtures they liked. So naturally, they decided to make their own. 

Inspiration struck one day at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “At The Met, we saw this old, ancient soldier’s helmet that had chainmail, and we [thought], ‘That could be a cool lamp,’” Stanish says. “But then we were like, ‘How do we remove the violence [from] the history behind it?” The answer? By adding a touch of whimsy and softness — and by tapping into the rich (and traditionally feminine) history of fiber arts. Inspired by crochet patterns, cross stitch grids, and historic tapestries, they began experimenting with adding beaded “embroidery” to their bespoke chainmail lamps. Using natural gemstones, they create the fabric-like floral patterns they’ve become known for. “It’s not meant for everyone, and we know that,” Stanish says. “But we can kind of soften the ‘brutal’ tone [of the chainmail] by adding some more delicate imagery to it.” That playful contrast has become a signature part of their work. Maybe Manes says it best: “[Wretched Flowers’] pieces transcend time … they are equal parts elegant and cool,” she writes.

While it may seem like a bold or edgy design choice, you can incorporate chainmail or chain motifs into almost any style of decor. Somary’s advice is to treat the medieval material as “just another texture available to you, rather than something super bold to be cautious of,” she explains. One small, simple way to do that is by swapping out your hardware. A few months ago, I fell in love with these gorgeous chain cabinet pulls from Spaces Within (pictured above). I first spotted them at Jaclyn and her husband Josh Manes’ studio space in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. She, too, thinks of them as “jewelry” for the home. “They truly dress up any space and are such a conversation starter,” says Manes. “These were actually the first thing we bought for the store before anything was even designed. We may or may not have designed our entire store around those pulls.”

Using chainmail curtains, tapestries, or room dividers is another unexpected way to add some eye-catching texture to a space. As a bonus, they filter light beautifully. When Wretched Flowers began creating their large-scale chainmail wall hangings, they thought of them purely as vertical extensions of their lighting collections. They later began experimenting with more complicated designs, like a woman walking her dogs (pictured below). It wasn’t until an interior designer pointed out their similarities to tapestries — and another suggested they create a double-sided version to use as a room divider or window curtain — that the pair realized just how versatile the pieces could be.

It’s important to note that true chainmail pieces take an incredible amount of work to create. Part of what makes chainmail so special is that it’s handmade. But there are still plenty of smaller ways to incorporate the romance of medieval metals into your space. From the cutest chainmail coasters from Brooklyn-based brand DAE New York to one of the coolest candle warmers I’ve ever seen, here are a few of our favorite chainmail-inspired pieces below.