With its variety of scales and infinite color combinations, plaid is a workhorse in interior decoration. Designers love this print for upholstery, wallpaper and even hard surfaces; depending on the pattern you choose, the throw can be sophisticated, rustic, festive or casual.

Plaid, an umbrella term, includes multiple variations, such as tartan, gingham, buffalo check, and windowpane. (The Internet is full of visual guides like this one if you need help sorting them all.) The print dates back thousands of years, often cited in reference to Scottish tartans worn to identify certain groups or clans. But today, pattern is more of an indicator of good taste. Designers can use plaid prints as the focal point of a room or for a subtle supporting role. Want to go crazy for plaid in your own home? Get inspired by these pieces that we have taken from our archives.

Referring to vacations

When the holidays come, Burkle Creativeby Javier Burkle (one of designers who let us take a look at their own holiday decor) swaps out some of its standard linens for a plaid style. The pattern fits perfectly – note the ceiling – but the colors introduce something special for the season. “I like white sheets, but you can add a moody duvet color and pillows for the holidays,” he says. “I love good throws.”

During the colder months, checkered blankets or cushions on sofas, chairs and beds add a warm touch to a room and provide an appropriate change.

You can coordinate or contrast colors with your existing decor and don’t be afraid to layer patterns throughout a room. Just take Burkle’s space: the longer you look, the more patterns you see. It’s a technique you’ll see again and again from a plethora of design professionals.

Comfort all year round

Checkered patterns can of course be used all year round. We love the print on the covering for a cozy lounge area. Designer Callie Windle chose a checkered armchair for a reading corner in the room of his rental. The small scale of the pattern and subtle colors ensure that the print does not overpower the space and blends well with other parts of the room.

For a house in Flower Moundcreator Kim Armstrong of Kim Armstrong Interiors I chose a blue and white gingham sofa. The scale of the print makes it a suitable choice for a bold room, while the colors complement other decor elements.

Designer Ashley Avrea Cathey of Avrea and company also layered in plaid with other prints for her personal residence in Dallas’ Greenway Parks. In this dining/playing area, the overlapping color palettes ensure the harmony of the different patterns. Plaid is something of a signature for Cathey, and it appears in almost every room in her own home and in every project she undertakes.

With so many applications of plaid in his company’s portfolio, Cathey’s work is essentially a masterclass in decorating with print. While her dining area shows how easily plaid can blend in, this room in a client’s home highlights the power of plaid to stand out.

Wrap a room

Covering your walls with throw evokes the feeling of being wrapped in a cozy blanket. In another room designed by Avrea and Company — this one for an annual show house — checkered walls maximize the color palette. Note the return to a mix of patterns in the same shades: a bold striped rug and a mix of flowers. Cathey even added a grosgrain ribbon border along the edges of the wallpaper.

Here is a room with more sober wall covering. Yates Design created the wallpaper as part of a collection with Ever Atelierand it offers a delicious secret: the lines of the pattern are made up of small window patterns (see it up close here).

Designer based in Dallas Doniphan Moore selected Hermes check wallpaper for one of the bathrooms his family’s vacation home. This particular print gives the space a menswear-inspired feel, and the subtle neutral tones that fill the rest of the room allow the wallpaper to really shine.

Put some plaid under your feet

Men’s clothing also inspired the design of this bathroom in the Kips Bay Decorators’ Showhouse 2024. Ink + Gold created a mosaic floor pattern that mimics plaid suits. You can always add a checkered rug or rug for a similar effect in your home – or consider incorporating a checkered pattern into your backsplash tiles.

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