Actually, I really like Chintz

In the eighties, chintz was really in, then with the arrival of wonderful Ikea they demanded that we chuck out our chintz in favour of sleek, clean Swedish decor. Were they right? They actually sell their own versions of chintz at Ikea so they didn't altogether believe their own hype. 

Chintz is a gorgeous fabric design. There's nothing wrong with it, just don't smother your home with chintzy this that and the other. Keep your walls plain and you can get away with some spectacular Chintz curtains and maybe if you're clever some more contemporary accessories that pick out the main accent colours of your chintz. 

This is a chintz that we still have available and hails from the heyday of the chintz revival in the 1980's. It's been given a busy design to make it feel more contemporary for then but again with careful use this fabric can create an impact.

This is another 1980's chintz from Jane Churchill but very understated in style though the blooms are still large. The feel is much more impressionistic, more of a water colour feel and the white background is allowed to balance the impact of the flowers. The colour palette is kept simple.

And here another 1980's Chintz this time with a heavy Chinese influence. Chintz is said to have originated from India but over time many countries have left their mark on the fabric design. To any lover of the natural world, flora and fauna, chintz brings a little bit of the outside into your living room.

Chuck your chintz back in and learn to blend it with a minimalist, contemporary interior for a dash of excitement that suddenly becomes a more pure statement when it's the only statement in the room.