Damask Impressions

Damask was always lurking somewhere on my fabric radar, although truthfully it didn't hold a very prominent place.  It's not that I don't find damask to be attractive.  I do.  I suppose that I have always thought it seemed more appropriate for homes that were exceedingly traditional or European in feel.  Damask just didn't seem to fit my city apartment, one that is a mix of antiques and modern-looking fabrics.

But, my opinion completely changed when I saw the recent World of Interiors article on KK Auchincloss' Paris apartment.  How many of you thought you had died and gone to heaven when you saw those photos?  Not a week goes by that I don't look at that article, dreaming about how well I could live in such a home.  Anyway, it's Auchincloss' damask covered walls that got me thinking about how damask doesn't have to look so traditional.  What makes this particular damask so fresh looking, to me anyway, is its unusual color.  It's a slightly weird yellowish-green, a shade that is a little off-kilter when compared to the more common shades of pale or golden yellow, vivid red, or pale blue.

Although damask covered walls would look completely out of place in my apartment, I am thinking of adding just a touch of it somewhere.  I am inspired by the 1960s-era photo below which shows a dark blue velvet sofa with pale blue damask pillows.  My sofa is covered in teal velvet, so perhaps damask throw pillows, especially in a shade similar to Auchincloss' walls, might look nice, a way to bridge the gap between a modern sofa and the antique furniture that stands close by. 

Who knows?  This dash of damask just might be the precursor to bigger and better things, maybe even a big girl apartment in Paris.

A 1960s-era living room with velvet sofa and damask pillows.

A damask covered bed in a home decorated by Alidad. (House & Garden, Simon Upton photographer.)

A silk damask Regency-style sofa in the drawing room of Chateau de Fleury. (Elle Decor, Miguel Flores-Vianna, photographer.)

A very pretty blue damask in the home of the late designer, Duarte Pinto Coehlo. (Manolo Yllera, photographer.)

Just a touch of damask on this small chair in the home of Fernanda Kellogg and Kirk Henckels, decorated by the talented Brockschmidt & Coleman. (Architectural Digest, Roger Davies, photographer.)

A profusion of red damask in the home of Carolina Herrera. (Residence magazine, photographer not attributed.)


Image at top: Photo of the Paris apartment of KK Auchincloss, World of Interiors, November 2012, Fritz von der Schulenburg photographer.