Decorating with Ikat Designs: 2012 Trend

Ikat fabrics are anything but new. Yet, for 2012 they are new again. You may remember learning about the the Silk Road in school. The Silk Road was a trading route covering Europe, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia, India, China and locations in between. On the Silk Road, or Silk Route, high-quality Ikats were sometimes used as currency. Ikat designs were made with handloom weaving and produced vibrant, worldly patterns. These same patterns are trending for 2012, sometimes in fabrics and also in more unexpected home decor accessories.

Decorating with Ikat Fabrics in 2012

Choose Colorful Ikat Designs on White - Make a bold statement in any room by selecting graphic Ikat prints on white. Choose a vibrant pink or an inky blue from 2011's blueprint-inspired palette. The graphic Ikat prints work best in uncluttered rooms where you want to make a statement. Try them in a foyer, a formal living room.

Upholstered Furniture - Ikat is traditionally found on fabric, so using it on upholstered furniture is not a far stretch. For the best results, choose small pieces of furniture with Ikat designs including ottomans or side chairs. An entire couch decorated in a bold Ikat design might overwhelm a small space but it would be great in a large living room.

Home Decor Accessories with Ikat - Experiment with color and pattern combinations by using small accessories decorated with Ikat.

* Throw pillows - Look for designs with two or three colors and soft, organic shapes. If you like to sew you can make your own covers for existing pillows rather than replace a perfectly good (but boring) pillow.

* Lampshades - Although they give off light, plain lampshades can often come across as cold and uninviting. How often have you loved a base of a lamp but wished the lampshade were different? Ikat designs are also being used on lampshades, not a common place to see any pattern.

* Table runners - In Ikat table runner gives a little nod to its bigger and older brother, the area rug. Table runners are affordable and a great way to cover a visible surface area in a room without changing the floors.

Mix it Up: You can use Ikat fabrics with other patterns in your home. In fact, it looks much better to mix up the occasional Ikat fabric with other patterns than to go crazy with Ikat everywhere in the room.