Tartan is the decorative band motif characteristic of the kilt, the famous skirt that identifies the Scottish clans. The design is given by the symmetrical juxtaposition of bands of different color and thickness, on a plain background: the combination of these elements generates an almost infinite choice of motifs, with the singular ability to decorate, while remaining discreet and never over the top. Weft and warp intertwine and the combination of two or more colors generates an orderly but lively pattern, perfect not only for clothing but also for the interior. The tartan, at home, is a timeless classic, which from season to season follows the color trends but remains proudly faithful to the nature of its style: aristocratic but informal, elegant but without frills. The design is entrusted with the task of making it up-to-date thanks to an accurate choice of colors and texture, as well as the correct combination of fabric and type of furniture. We therefore see 5 examples of projects that use or are deeply influenced by tartan, furnishings and accessories that introduce a cultured and dense decoration of history in the environment in which they are placed.

1. Tartan in blue for Hästens  beds

Hästens has an ancient tradition of bed production, characterized by the use of natural materials, quality manufacturing and techniques acquired over time and experience. The company was born in 1852 and is an official supplier for the Swedish royal house. Identifying his beds is the blue and white checkered fabric, a variation of tartan that goes in the direction of Swedish minimalism. After all, blue is the color of serenity and relaxation and represented a sort of revolution, when in 1978 the company offered it as an alternative to the shades of brown, green and orange that characterized the Swedish furnishings of the time. The Blue check (on the cover) by Hästens is a registered trademark and can only be used for its beds, and here a decorative motif is transformed into the guarantee of having furniture of eternal quality and comfort.

2. Contemporary tartan for Ferm Living  cushions

Checked Blue by Ferm Living

The Scandinavian style is confirmed as a precious example of discreet decoration also with Checked Blue cushions by the Danish company Ferm Living. The blue background is combined with the subtle but vibrant white and brown bands: the result is lively but composed, very interesting and not trivial.

3. Foscarini  total white tartan

Tartan lamp by Foscarini

What would tartan be without color? It seems a paradoxical question, yet Ludovica e Roberto Palomba  have been able to create an excellent example of suspended light that perfectly responds to this provocation. The mouth blowing of the glass that makes up Tartan  lamp is made to reproduce the decorative motif of the tartan, in the form of textures: lines and folds that produce the design, generating, at the same time, an unprecedented play of light and shadow.

4/5. Tartan for the outdoors by Ethimo and Gan

Allaperto by Ethimo

The Allaperto  collection by Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez for Ethimo  has an intense retro flavor in the tartan version. The colors chosen, the dense weave of perpendicular bands, combined with the structure of the chair that recalls the 50s style are a combination that is welcoming and elegant and somewhat unusual for an outdoor environment, in which we are used to finding light colors and essential patterns . The Garden Layers collection designed by Patricia Urquiola  for Gan  is inspired by tartan but in a completely different version: not the classic outdoor seats, but a series of oriental-inspired rugs, futons, cushions and daybeds, turned Mediterranean thanks to the tartan fabric’s colours.

Garden Layers by Gan

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