Leopard print can be a divisive decorating choice, but these projects all make the case for taking a walk on the wild side. Whether committing an entire room to the print or taking a softly-softly approach with some carefully chosen accessories, these projects from the ELLE Decoration archives show there’s a styling choice for every taste when it comes to decorating with this inimitable pattern.
A custom carpet by Dimorestudio
Emiliano Salci of Dimorestudio is renowned for creating decadent, glamorous interiors with a decidedly louche air. This Milanese home, which he designed with co-founder Britt Moran, typifies the studio’s use of opulent textiles, rich colour palettes and an undercurrent of late-night debauchery – the leopard print carpet is a custom design from the studio, while the pair of bamboo chairs are vintage Piero Portaluppi.
Accessorising with animal print in a French apartment
This stylish Biarritz apartment uses leopard print sparingly, in the form of jaunty cushions from designer Olivier Granet-Sottis’s collaboration with Ekka. They sit atop the ‘T4’ sofa by Holloway Li x Uma which is accompanied with the ‘Carol’ armchair from NV Gallery and the metal ‘Ravi’ pedestal table from The Masie. Designer Olivier Granet-Sottis was inspired by Rini Spiel’s painting on the wall when devising the uplifting colour palette, and used ‘Cord’ on the left wall and the cheerful ‘Breakfast Room Green’, both Farrow & Ball.
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The wild WFH setup
Home offices aren’t usually considered the most exciting of rooms, but with a leopard-print carpet by Madeleine Castaing and sconce by India Mahdavi, this is far from a dull work zone. Batik Studio paired the homeowner’s vintage desk with a ‘Zig-Zag’ chair by Gerrit Rietveld and Hiromi Objets lamp for a retro touch.
Wall-to-wall leopard in a London home
Designer Trilbey Gordon went all-in when it came to using leopard print in the study of this glamorous Maida Vale home. Inspired by the leopard-print paper and painted butterflies on the walls of Italian design trailblazer Carlo Mollino’s house in Turin, she paired animal-print Pierre Frey wallpaper with a Damien Hirst artwork. She upped the ante by reupholstering the homeowner’s existing office chair in the same Pierre Frey print.
A subtle leopard print carpet in London
Leopard print can be daunting, but to keep things chic designer Tiffany Duggan advises going for a smaller scale print and steering clear of high-shine surfaces. She chose a leopard-print design from Stark Carpet for this home study, while a 1960s ‘Swirl’ Murano ceiling pendant from Valerie Wade hangs overhead. The walls are painted in ‘Cane’ by Farrow & Ball, with a blind in ‘Zarafshan’ by Lewis & Wood. The ‘Avalon’ dressing table from Trove by Studio Duggan is paired with a ‘Pomero’ chair from Sazy.
A vintage sofa gets the leopard treatment in London
The House, brainchild of Laura Fulmine, founder and director of M.A.H Gallery, is an ever changing concept store and gallery that features a rotating roster of designers and artists, with spaces curated into specific rooms. This living area featuring a small vintage sofa is upholstered in ‘Oncilla’ fabric by Travers from Zimmer + Rohde, with the ‘Kiln’ side table by Subin Seol and a ‘Gentle’ throw by A Vetra. In front of it stands the ‘Paris Table No.12’ coffee table by Fabio Vogel, holding Kelly Jessiman’s stoneware piece ‘Molasses II’.
Two ways with leopard in a New York home and studio
Gabriel Hendifar, artistic director and CEO of lighting and furniture design studio Apparatus, was so fond of this leopard print carpet by Stark he used it both in his living room and his studio workspace. This area features hand-painted wall panels by Callidus Guild. A ‘Segment’ table, two ‘Median’ pendants, a ‘Tassel’ wall light and a ‘Signal Y’ table lamp, all by Apparatus. The screen in the background is one of the brand’s limited-edition ‘Interlude’ designs and the artwork above the custom-made sofa is by Brenda Buck Riley Studio.
Bespoke animal armchairs in a fun-filled home
‘Off-the-shelf just doesn’t fit when you are working on this scale,’ said designer Tiffany Duggan of this expansive family home in Hertfordshire. With vast proportions and fun-loving clients, she used the opportunity to create custom pieces for the home. In the living room, she designed two four-seater sofas upholstered in ‘Eternal’ velvet by Lizzo, and bespoke armchairs dressed in ‘Leopard Bon Marché’ by Claremont. A 1980s design by Belgo Chrome, the coffee table is crafted from copper, brass and travertine, with the brass tones picked up in the room’s lighting, which includes a ‘Calais’ chandelier by Niermann Weeks for Visual Comfort and two vintage Murano starburst wall lights.
Touches of animal print in a bedroom
This London home is an ode to French chic. ‘Paris has a knack of making the ordinary extraordinary, sophisticated but inviting and welcoming and we try to channel that philosophy into our work,’ says co-founder of design firm Penrose Tilbury, Charlie Tilbury. Two leopard print stools add a little sass to the romantic bedroom scheme, while an oxblood headboard is instantly luxurious.
A patterned carpet in an otherwise neutral home
Designer Christophe Delcourt took a subtle approach to the renovation and interior decorating of this Haussmann apartment in Paris. The exception to the rule, however, is the jazzy carpet in the snug – he chose ‘Léopard’ carpet from Maison Pinton and paired with one of the ‘Ned’ armchairs by Christophe Delcourt for Collection Particulière in a denim-blue velvet.
