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The Stylish French Fabric: Toile de Jouy

5th April 2021

French toile fabric or Toile de Jouy translates to 'cloth from Jouy-en-Josas'. It's a classic print which continues in popularity, year in and year out.

What Is Toile De Jouy and How To Use It?

Toile de Jouy fabric is traditionally printed in a single colour, often red or blue, onto an off-white base which creates a beautiful contrast. They then have a repeated pattern with pastoral scenes of French country life which usually have romantic imagery and day-to-day life from a bygone era.

Toile fabric has since been printed in negative with the background in colour and the pattern in neutral. They've also seen richer detail including shading which offers more of a strong focal point in a room and adds more tonal range to an interior.

They, however, more often stay true to the traditional design and content of toile fabric which makes them adaptable for traditional homes.

Now, contemporary toile fabric experiments with bold colour clashing and Chinoiserie trends. Here's how to use all these Toile de Jouy fabric designs in your home.

French ToileFrench Toile
Grand Palace Fabric MistGrand Palace Fabric Mist

Classic Toile De Jouy Fabric

Classic Toile de Jouy fabric only uses two colours but have a large pattern. These idyllic rural prints are often archival. They've been recreated from the original toile fabric that first caught people's eyes.

Demure tones add to the sophistication of French toile. They're ideal for full-length curtains. The effect is especially added to by positioning them around French doors.

Likewise, they work wonderfully on upholstery. The use of skirting in the same fabric provides a vintage finish.

It has also become popular as bedding, and curtains or drapery around a bed. Waking up, elegantly wrapped in toile gives every day a sense of refinement.

French Toile De Jouy FabricFrench Toile De Jouy Fabric
Modern Toile FabricModern Toile Fabric

Modern Toile De Jouy Fabric

Modern Toile de Jouy designs combine large patterns with colour. This can be simply in the pattern itself, keeping the background neutral.

Alternately, there can be one extra colour added for more definition or contrast. As the imagery is often wonderfully intricate, the elements stand out that bit more.

Finally, it can be the entire use of colour as current toile fabric is awash with bold tones. These immediately create a youthful, whimsical aspect to the material.

Thanks to contemporary forms of production there is more choice than ever before. It's all about choosing the one that fits with your interior design tastes.

How To Style Toile De Jouy Fabric In Your Home

1) Statement Toile De Jouy Cushions

 

Thanks to the large design of toile, they are ideal for making statement cushions. Moreover, thanks to made to measure services, cushions can be created to fit the size of the design.

If you are particularly enamoured with the scenes shown on a Toile de Jouy fabric then this is the ideal way to enjoy them: individually.

This toile de jouy pattern, Toile Baptiste, has been been enhanced by the brush fringe trimming that was used to complete these made to measure cushions.

Toile De Jouy CushionsToile De Jouy Cushions

2) Matching Toile Fabric

 

This French fabric continues to win hearts and, in this case, more can most definitely be more. Why not use the same fabric more than once?

This can be done on curtains, upholstery, and fabric blinds. It can also be done on bedding, pillows, and other home accessories like lampshades.

Similarly, using the same design in different colours can repeat a beloved pattern in a different way. This is a great way to avoid being overly matchy.

Pick out colours from the design to complete the room, whether in a rug, furnishings or paint. Josette Fabric has been used with most of the above. It has also been used with vintage furniture to complement the retro pastel colour.

French ToileFrench Toile

3) Matching Toile Wallpaper and Fabric

 

Matching toile wallpaper and fabric can be either classic or contemporary. You could simply combine the same pattern on a headboard and wall. This offers a stunning French country feel.

Now , however, thanks to modern toile designs you can make a fresh and funky combo. Start with a Toile de Jouy wallpaper that makes an excellent feature wall or all-round pattern.

Team this with the same pattern on the largest piece of furniture for the biggest impact. Antilles Toile design do this flawlessly.

To take it down a notch, simply use it on home accents or a single chair. Otherwise, go all-out with a mix of neutral colours and another equally vibrant hue to complete the theme.

The smart gingham print on the curtain sits perfectly with the country french look that this charming toile design creates.

Matching Toile Wallpaper and FabricMatching Toile Wallpaper and Fabric

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