Textile Traditions: Using Suzanis in Your Decor
Celebrate the Look of Hand Embroidery and Global Style With Gorgeous, Versatile Suzani Prints
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
Last week when I presented ikat fabrics, I made a brief mention of suzanis. Suzanis have been burning up design blogs for at least five years, and thus their beautiful hand-embroidered patterns have been borrowed and evolved into printed products. This is a bit ironic, as the word suzani means "needle" in Persian, and the whole point of them was carrying on a tradition of showing off one's needlework skills and adding personality to each unique piece of fabric. However, we're not going to get all mired down in that, we're just going to admire them and look at how Houzz designers are using them.
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| For a lot of us, suzanis first caught out eyes in the Jonathan Adler-designed Parker Palm Springs.
Tip: If you have a sofa that's getting tired, has red wine stains or has been mauled by Frisky the cat, you don't necessarily have to splurge on reupholstering it. Why not invest in a beautiful suzani to throw over its flaws? When you do finally invest in a new sofa, reuse the suzani as a bedspread. |
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Suzanis come in every color combination you can imagine. This lavender and gold example gives the room global style and inspired a choice of hydrangeas for the coffee table.
You'll have to squint a little to spy the suzani in this photo; it's been used to upholster the stool.
Tip: Consider searching for vintage fabrics when upholstering smaller items like ottomans and throw pillows.
Tip: Consider searching for vintage fabrics when upholstering smaller items like ottomans and throw pillows.
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You may use a suzani as a jumping-off point for an entire room's fabric palette. I imagine this person started with the suzani upholstered chair and picked the rug, drapes, and sofa fabrics to go with it.
| A suzani-inspired rug can ground a kitchen or dining room and hide spills. |
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by Cristi Holcombe
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| Together these three pillows almost add up to a suzani. They set the tone for this serene bedscape. |
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| This is the room I have dubbed "Ikat Suzani Mashup." And yes, I read in The New York Times this weekend that the fashion world is sick of the phrase "mashup," but I find it much more Gleeful than using the word "fusion," which makes me think of bad food.
On another note, I was really glad to see they are just as sick of the misuse of "bespoke" as I am. |
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Unfortunately someone thought it was a good idea to replace one of the sofas with these chairs, but it provides us the chance to show you another gorgeous suzani.
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If you are intrigued and want to learn more about the incredible traditions of textiles in Central Asia, dive into this book. You won't believe the endless suzani designs that have come out of centuries of needlecrafting tradition.
Ideabook updated on May 4, 2011.
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Oh, Suzani! Oh don't you cry for me,
You'll cover up my sofa stains of red wine and black tea.
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