How to decorate with gingham
Gingham has a long history in the world of textiles, and has been produced in one form or another for at least 400 years. Cheerful and affordable, we tend to associate it with the relaxed world of the French countryside and summer holidays; notoriously Brigitte Bardot's pink gingham wedding dress caused a shortage of the fabric in 1959. There's a humility and adaptability to gingham - the fabric of school uniforms, jam jars, and tablecloths - that makes it immensely appealing. Though it's most often seen on clothes, as a decoration fabric, it hits a sweet spot in terms of pattern; easy to work with as it tends to contain three or four variations of the same colour, it's slightly more exciting than a stripe but much less elaborate than other styles of check like plaids and tartans. Whether you want to use it for curtains, cushions, table linens or bedding, scroll down for our favourite design ideas.
Alex James1/20A nude by Charley Garry hangs above a chair in a George Spencer Designs gingham that echoes the checks of a Pierre Frey blind in Louise Jones' Surrey farmhouse. The Aston Matthews’ bathtub is painted in Zuber’s ‘XV Août’ to tone with GP & J Baker’s ‘Chifu’ wallpaper.
Chris Horwood2/20The office in this rental flat in Chelsea features a desk skirt custom-made from fabric by Chelsea Textiles in a lovely brown gingham.
Photography: Read McKendree | Styling: Mieke ten Have3/20This sunny ‘mud room’ in a charming 18th-century house in Connecticut with a Scandinavian twist is made extra bright by gingham yellow curtains from Serena and Lily concealing the utility space. The rug (which is totally waterproof) is ‘Heddle’ from Chilewich.
Owen Gale4/20Though in London, Alice Peto's kitchen would be at home deep in the countryside with its jolly red gingham curtains. The tiles were sourced on eBay. The chicken bowls are by Kate Tempest and the chicken picture is by Hugo Guinness.
Owen Gale5/20Curtains are not an obvious choice for a bathroom, but how delightful they look here in Pembroke Lodge. A local curtain maker, Elizabeth Harris at Fine Curtains in Penzance, made the scallop valances. The Delft tiles are from Fired Earth, and the mirror is by Sophie Conran.
Mark Anthony Fox6/20In the morning room of a former groom's cottage in the Cotswolds, a Tomás de Mello Júnior seascape hangs above an antique chimneypiece added, along with the panelling, by the previous owner. Howard & Sons armchairs in Colefax and Fowler’s ‘Eaton Check’ in fawn are paired with an ottoman in Bennison Fabrics’ ‘Zanzibar’ in yellow on beige.
Mark Anthony Fox7/20Upstairs in the spare bedroom of the same house, a romantic space has been created using bed curtains in ‘Pondicherry’ linen from Bennison Fabrics, which are lined with Chelsea Textiles’ ‘Small Check’ linen mix in antique blue.
Owen Gale8/20When Honor Devereux was asked by a longtime friend to overhaul her Victorian house in south London, a dream collaboration was born. The result is a comfortable, layered family home admirably laid out for modern life. The elegant sitting room features a blue sofa from Arlo & Jacob and a large coffee table that the owners bought at auction from Lots Road. The large white rug underfoot came from a Morocco sourcing trip, while the blind is made up in a yellow gingham from Turnell & Gigon.
Michael Sinclair9/20In a small bedroom in Thea Speke's country house, curtains in a green check from Merchant & Mills screen an iron bed from The French House. Walls painted in an archive Paint & Paper Library colour - ‘Both Barrels’ makes for a harmonious, serene atmosphere.
Anne Nyblaeus10/20In Cathy Nordstrom’s bedroom the headboard is her own ‘Gingham’ in Lemon. “It complements it so well, and I just love spending time here.” The chest of drawers is a flea market find and the quilt is an antique American quilt. “This is one of my favourites; it’s super soft and delicate so it has to be treated gently.” The throw cushions are in Cathy’s ‘Spotty’ fabric in Sage.
Boz Gagovski11/20The inviting rooms of this Verbier chalet are a masterclass in artful fusion, as designer Vanessa Macdonald has brought together English and Alpine influences, antique and contemporary pieces, and texture and pattern to create a cleverly coherent whole. Vanessa’s use of texture and pattern ‘in moderation’ sets this chalet apart. In a bedroom, the subtle way that a headboard in ‘Great Cactus Blue’ from Bennison interacts with a soft blue gingham bedspread makes for a cohesive space.
Christian Harder12/20This former convent in New Orleans has taken on a new life as the immensely stylish Hotel Peter & Paul, with interiors by ASH NYC that are making us long for gingham fabrics and Christian Bérard-esque painted furniture. The rooms are decked out in various shades of gingham, paired with simple white bedlinen and French country furniture.
Christian Harder13/20Another room at the Hotel Peter & Paul.
Yuki Sugiura14/20In the charming Stamford home of antique dealer Matthew Cox, Gabby Deeming and Ruth Sleightholme offset the pale walls and dark wooden floors with seasonal foliage, jewel-toned fabrics, glints of gold and flickering candlelight. The ‘Amalfi Sofa’ from Julian Chichester has cushions and a loose cover in the smart charcoal colourway of the ‘Kemble’ fabric, £45 a metre, from Romo
Paul Massey15/20In Carlos Garcia's Norfolk manor house, the pantry/utility room adjoins the kitchen. open shelves display homemade jams and chutneys. Curtains in a gingham from Ian Mankin hide additional storage.
Simon Brown16/20In the drawing room of Vanessa MacDonald's Oxfordshire house, an elegant Regency-style sofa is enlivened by a bold blue and white gingham.
Paul Massey17/20Looking for a retreat from their busy London life, the textiles dealer Susan Deliss and her husband Max fell for this house in rural Burgundy, and have renovated it in keeping with its surroundings, thoughtfully choosing art, colours and interesting patterns that bring it to life. In the main bedroom, a mid-century modern chair has been reupholstered in a fresh gingham.
Simon Brown18/20This bedroom belongs to Vanessa and James Macdonald's son, Rupert, at their family home in the rolling hills of Oxfordshire. The red gingham of the headboard and armchair compliments the patterned red and white curtains. Soft neutral colours in the carpet and on the walls allows the red to pleasantly pop rather than overwhelm the room.
Emma Lewis19/20The bedroom of this country barn conversion in Norfolk has a fresh, spring-like scheme in green and white, with a bedroom chair slip-covered in green and white gingham.
Jan Baldwin20/20Our decoration team took inspiration from John Fowler for this full-look curtain design, as part of a shoppable scheme inspired by famous interior designers. The use of gingham takes the formality of this look down a few notches. "There are few things more characterful than a draw curtain peeping out from under the theatrical outer swags of a dress curtain, and a goblet, ruche or triple-pinch heading need not be uptight. Just forget about card inserts or stiffeners and let your curtains breathe."
