Go Wild

When local interior designer Sue Conboy talks about animal-print decor, you can practically see her tossing a leopard-print pillow onto a client’s classic, button-tufted chair, brushing her hands off and declaring, “Yes, now we’re done!”

She is, by all accounts, an animal-print lover.

“It is a timeless thing. If you go back and look at books or anything from the beginning, and I like very timeless interiors, there’s always a little bit of animal somewhere, whether it’s traditional or whether it’s very eclectic. … Anytime that I use it, I love it,” she said.

Interior designers will concede that a little dose of zebra print or faux fur can go a long way. But if the idea is to add just a pop of drama, sophistication or even whimsy to a room, animal-inspired furnishings are spot on.

Their bold patterns essentially give spaces that extra eye-catching nudge. At the same time, they are incredibly versatile, fitting in with styles that range from traditional to ultracontemporary, said Conboy, owner of the local design company Statement of Style Home.

Think sandy-brown, leopard-print pillows on a bench in a country kitchen, a zebra-patterned tray in a formal bedroom or a cowhide rug spread across the concrete floor in an ultramodern loft.

“By doing it very selectively and very quietly it can go with any decor, so if you add a great lampshade and maybe you’ve got a chair, or maybe you’ve got some pillows on a bed and you add an animal ottoman in that room — it’s a balance,” Conboy said.

Jill Abelman, principal designer and owner of local interior design firm Inside Style, compared accessorizing a room with animal prints to adding a “beautiful pair of earrings” to an outfit. The idea is to enhance the overall look of a space with distinctive touches, whether it’s a subtle chenille animal-print pillow on a contrasting side chair or a hide-on-hair metallic area rug.

The texture of an animal print, she added, can mean the difference between “a look of sophistication and cheapness.” There are luxurious velvet brushed prints, for example, that are being used for pillows on sofas and settees, and furnishings such as cocktail tables with detailed inlaid designs in zebra and leopard, she said.

Abelman added that some of the offerings on the market are giving the ageless designs a modern twist. Her company recently upholstered a particularly adventurous client’s guest room in hot-pink vinyl crocodile print, she said. She also points to fabrics such as metallic faux snake skin and rugs made from cowhide that are being covered with a multitude of designs.

Manufacturers, in fact, are stamping and stenciling cowhide rugs with a seemingly limitless array of animal prints, including giraffe, zebra, tiger and cheetah. They are also dying them with bold, bright colors and in some cases giving them metallic sheens such as bronze or gold, according to design experts.

“Basically, they can make it into any animal they want and any color they want,” Conboy said.

Different hues are also in demand when it comes to animal-print carpets. Chad Stark, senior vice president of Stark Corp., said that among the company’s best-selling selections are its “reinterpretation” of animal prints into more abstract designs such as its Kubra collection, which includes updated color palettes in platinum, taupe and silver.

These colors, he said, fit into the simpler, streamlined interior styles that are popular by creating a more subtle “animal-print vibe,” he said.

If the idea is to make a statement, a staircase or entry covered in a bold, traditional animal print can definitely set the tone for the adjacent spaces such as a living room or dining area, he said.

“A more contemporary home may use an abstract animal print with solids and textures as a piece of artwork for the floor,” he added.

For beginners who may be timid about animal print, he recommends starting out with an area rug in a space such as a study or family room, but making sure it suits the size and scale of the room.

Also on the market are an array of items that provide other ways to take a little walk on the “wild” side, such as candles, picture frames, lamp shades and bathroom accessories, Conboy said. There are also wallpapers in a variety of colors that can be used as an accent on wall shelves, for example, or the back panels of bookcases that open up into a room.

“There are beautiful wallpapers that are tone-on-tone, subtle and beautiful, that can be very transitional and contemporary with neutral furnishings,” she added.

Faux fur is another option, particularly the luxurious synthetic throws that can be draped over a bed or sofa, she said. They’re available through companies such as Pottery Barn and Z Gallerie, and come in a variety of designs and colors.

“You see them everywhere … everybody’s doing them,” she said.