Why don't you make the treatments of toile and use the ticking stripe on the bias? Ticking is another time-honored material to pair with toile.

You certainly don't see the entire rooms of toile---wallpaper, bedding, upholstery, etc. in a bedroom especially----as used to be common. Now I see toile in the shelter magazines being used in a wider variety of rooms, and in small applications, such as window treatments only, or pillows, or even napkins.

I love toile, and have the Laura Ashley green toile as the bedskirt in the master, and have a different blue/white toile in the bedskirts of twin beds in my daughter's room. We also have a red and linen toile on the chairpads in our kitchen, piped in the Pierre Deux red Vichy check. That red and white in the kitchen is paired with a very fresh-looking apple green in the table runner and wall colour.

Whether it's had it's day or not, I love toile. I think what "dates" it is the usage; vast expanses of it, as kswl mentioned.

There's just something so delightful about a little bit of toile in a room.

Toile has been overused, imo but it's understandable, it's so universally attractive and appealing, it caught on a few years ago and it's still going strong.

It was basically ignored in the 80's and 90's although it was a classic; I worked in a fabric store then and it was a rarely requested fabric. I recently spotted a whole bin of blue and white toile oven mitts for 3.99 a pair in a chain store.

It reminded me of our few european clients who paid a lot of money for linen toile fabrics back then.
and now toile is everywhere; but it shouldn't keep you from using it, it's attractive and timeless, it won't go away now that the younger generation has discovered it and it's "new" again.

I loooove toile!! I don't think it's passe at all---it's been around for a long time!

(I have Bosporous on my kitchen nook seats and I have the black and white Country Life on outdoor cushions.)

Texashottie, I would live to see pics of the Bosporous in your kitchen. I love that pattern! Which color do you have? I am thinking of using it on an old chair I have inherited.
When I was very young, my mother had a black/white toile similar to country life, as a slipcover for a camel back sofa. After she tired of it, she dyed it red and it still looked wondeful. I can still remember her filling up the washing machine and adding the small box of red powder! I realize now how daring she was!

Rest assured that Toile will never be passe. It is timeless and beautiful.

I agree with brutuses statement. Texashottie, I would also love to see pics of the Bosporous.

I like toile in large amounts, passe or not. But I'm not loving it in kitchens as much as I do in boudoirs, etc. I think there's fresher looks for kitchens and eating areas.

I think toile is a bit tired...got overused for awhile! It will come around again and some rooms just NEED it.

Reading between the lines, it sounds as though you might be drawn to a newer thing? Have you seen the trellis or open graphic patterns that are so "in" these days? They have a classic feel but modern too, color palettes are fresh. Just a thought.

Here is a link that might be useful: open graphic patterns

I agree with flyingcarrot. Toile is always classic and will never ever be entirely out; but it did surge back into style and I believe it's on it's way back out again depending on where you live. However if you love it, use it and enjoy it. It is especially beautiful in classic traditional decor - so if this describes your home, I wouldn't hesitate to use it. Check out Horchow and other traditional, popular stores to see how they are using toile.

If you are contemporary or modern, then the graphic patterns are really going strong right now and add that punch of pattern and color. Check out patterns at West Elm, Crate and Barrel etc.

Toile has always been one of my favorite prints, and I have it all over our house. Two bathrooms are wallpapered in it, with a beadboard wainscoting beneath, and our master bedroom features yellow and ivory toile bedspread, dust ruffle and curtains, with coodinating ticking stripe on the dust ruffle and one side of the duvet. Fortunately, my husband is very tolerant of my passion.

When my daughter was married four years ago, she insisted that I use blue toile for her table cloths at the reception held at a historic town house in downtown Charleston. Everyone raved at how lovely it looked. I made 30+ tablecloths and had so much fabric afterward that I used it to make decorative side drapes for the large french doors leading off our kitchen, and valances over the smaller kitchen windows. Visitors have always commented on how beautiful they look.

If this is what YOU like, go for it! I've always believed that you should use what makes you happy and comfortable in your own home. Don't worry about "trends" until the time comes to sell and move on.

Thanks so much everyone for the encouragement. I really do like toile, and now I feel much more confident about choosing it.

Oh, some of you may remember my thread a couple of years ago. These were brand-spanking-new chairs that arrived and I was horrified by the wood/fabric combination---they did not jive! So I got help on here and recovered them.

Here's the Bosporous:

I love Toile. Always have...always will.

Y'all will get a kick out of the following photo!

This photo is taken at the home I grew up in. The dining room was very formal and had gorgeous green silk Toile paper on the walls (it was much prettier in person and was probably about 10 years old when this photo was made). The photo is from the early to mid 70's. I get a chuckle everytime I see this as both my grandparents and great aunt were very formal people, and they are all eating watermelon (from the rind no-less) in the dining room. My grandfather looks perplexed. LOL Don't you love the glasses that my parents are wearing. :)

{{!gwi}}

Newhomebulder: that is a priceless picture! Of course in my neck-of-the-woods we eat watermelon outside, not at the dining room table, so that cracks me up. We are hillbillys, I know!

Texashottie, I love that toile, and I remember you dilema. I forgot about the fabric you used, great replacement. And by the way, I need some pics of the "Tuscan Style" that is prevalent in your area, I have a current client that is interested in that look and it really isn't a common thing in SW Missouri! Didn't you have a few pics of the open houses in your area? It you see this post, I'd love to have that link again.s

And about toile in general, it has always been a classic in my humble opinion, and we just (this week) hung a red/ecru toile in the window of the shop. It is a great backdrop to almost everything! Funny how it blended with our more comtemporary striped chairs and comtemporary side table. We place a laurel wreath lamp in front and all of it together is a great look! It can work the same way in your homes.

I love toile and I am planning on having some in my home. My biggest problem with toile is finding one that is well executed. I have been having a difficult time finding a red toile done well but I think that toile will always have it's place even if it is not trendy.

Stroheim and Romann has many toiles that come in red.

Sally, here's that link!

Here is a link that might be useful: Spring Tour home

Texashottie, Thanks for the pic. I DO remember your chairs now! Beautiful!

Oh, I still love toile too & still have some black/cream toile drapes up in my DR and one guestroom and enjoy it very much. I'd do more if I had more spaces. It is very much a classic and I redid my master bedroom with it in 2001 and that's the toile I still have in my house, just in other spaces.

TexasH, I have loved that Bosphorus fabric since it came out a few years ago & helped someone pick it out to use as drapes in her house. It's gorgeous & I would have it somewhere too if I had more space. In fact, I was in Destin, FL recently at an antiques market and came across this sofa...it was on consignment for $550 & I thought it was a steal! Someone needs to buy this & I'm sure they will soon.

I do love that Bosphorus Toile. Actually, I love about 80% of the toiles I see, which is a really huge percentage. I totally planned to have toile in this house but it hasn't happened yet. Soon, maybe.........

Red

Wow, after buying a bit of that Bosporous for my chairs, that sofa is a steal! There's about $500 worth of that fabric on there! LOL!