The Which, Where & How of Hanging Tapestries
Tapestries are statement makers in their own right. Here are 12 valuable insights on how to best show them off
Tapestry – the word evokes visions of aristocratic splendour, luxury, warmth, colour, culture and rich beauty. Tapestry has been around since the 6th century and developed its classic form in medieval Europe to peaking during the Renaissance (14th-17th century). It was a heavy intricately woven fabric, sometimes incorporating silver and gold thread, used to depict elaborate, colourful scenes. The modern interpretation of this classic creation has come to include all manner of fabric wall hangings – from rugs and kilims to various kinds of textiles, including patchworks and, yes, bedsheets too. The tapestry is an ideal piece of art; it does the same job as a painting, albeit with the added elements of texture and softness. Here are some ideas on how and where to use them.
This traditional carpet has been hung using a tapestry rail and finials – the result is a sophisticated traditional look. Since handmade carpets can be very heavy, it would be wise to use high-quality fixings on walls that are solid.
Tip: It’s best to hang heavy fabrics like carpets and kilims on specially made tapestry rods and not regular curtain rods, as the former are stronger. This gives the heavy fabric the necessary support and it hangs straighter since its weight is distributed equally across the rod.
2. Put a big tapestry on a big wall
It goes without saying that a large tapestry should have a wall of its own to show off its magnificence. This one here is a true example of an old-fashioned tapestry, the cynosure of all eyes, demanding to be treated with care and respect. The muted furnishings perforce take a bit of a backseat. The table lamps are an excellent choice – the white shades are non-competing and their golden bases serve to frame the tapestry while giving it the space it deserves.
It goes without saying that a large tapestry should have a wall of its own to show off its magnificence. This one here is a true example of an old-fashioned tapestry, the cynosure of all eyes, demanding to be treated with care and respect. The muted furnishings perforce take a bit of a backseat. The table lamps are an excellent choice – the white shades are non-competing and their golden bases serve to frame the tapestry while giving it the space it deserves.
3. Dress up an outdoor space
Fabric wall hangings can be taken outdoors, too. A piece of Indian patchwork textile like this one is perfect for a sit-out. Everything in this patio – the wicker furniture, the Balinese-style coffee table and the orange cushions – work together to tie in the look along with the colourful Indian patchwork tapestry.
Fabric wall hangings can be taken outdoors, too. A piece of Indian patchwork textile like this one is perfect for a sit-out. Everything in this patio – the wicker furniture, the Balinese-style coffee table and the orange cushions – work together to tie in the look along with the colourful Indian patchwork tapestry.
4. Frame it
Carpets and kilims can fade and age over time. So if you have a precious piece you’d like to display, consider having it professionally framed first to protect it from dust and damage. The wall hanging here has been framed in glass. The black frame and the slim white border serve to accentuate the green of the fabric.
Carpets and kilims can fade and age over time. So if you have a precious piece you’d like to display, consider having it professionally framed first to protect it from dust and damage. The wall hanging here has been framed in glass. The black frame and the slim white border serve to accentuate the green of the fabric.
5. Upholster the walls
This wall that has been upholstered completely with fabric is not an example of your usual, everyday kind of wall tapestry. Depending on the weight of the fabric, it can be either upholstered panel-wise or tacked on at regular intervals. This is a more permanent fixture; so think it through before undertaking it.
This wall that has been upholstered completely with fabric is not an example of your usual, everyday kind of wall tapestry. Depending on the weight of the fabric, it can be either upholstered panel-wise or tacked on at regular intervals. This is a more permanent fixture; so think it through before undertaking it.
6. Use it to accent a niche
This look is most effective when the tapestry fits right into the niche like a glove, making it look like it is the wall, instead of being just a part of it. This corner of the room looks cosy with the contrasting colours between the tapestry and the solid-coloured sofa. The ornate clock placed right in the middle of the tapestry, far from looking odd, fits right in, as it picks up on the gold tones of the tapestry.
This look is most effective when the tapestry fits right into the niche like a glove, making it look like it is the wall, instead of being just a part of it. This corner of the room looks cosy with the contrasting colours between the tapestry and the solid-coloured sofa. The ornate clock placed right in the middle of the tapestry, far from looking odd, fits right in, as it picks up on the gold tones of the tapestry.
7. Add punch to informal decor
Tapestries don’t have to be formal affairs – not anymore. Colourful tapestries with pops of neon colour add fun to this kids’ bedroom. For single beds, opt for a narrow wall hanging like the ones here, or one large piece that acts as a headboard for both beds.
While these two pieces have been hung separately, another way would be to use a single long rod to suspend them both, with a gap in between.
Tapestries don’t have to be formal affairs – not anymore. Colourful tapestries with pops of neon colour add fun to this kids’ bedroom. For single beds, opt for a narrow wall hanging like the ones here, or one large piece that acts as a headboard for both beds.
While these two pieces have been hung separately, another way would be to use a single long rod to suspend them both, with a gap in between.
8. Try clashing instead of matching
You can tell by the unusual clashing colours and cool designs that this is a teenager’s bedroom. The New York skyline pillows, teamed with a chevron duvet cover and a brilliantly hued wall hanging, all come together in a thrilling package of energy and design. However, look carefully and there is a common thread that draws all the apparent confusion into a clever composition: the individual touches of colour in the tapestry are amplified in the dashes of turquoise and purple used across the room.
You can tell by the unusual clashing colours and cool designs that this is a teenager’s bedroom. The New York skyline pillows, teamed with a chevron duvet cover and a brilliantly hued wall hanging, all come together in a thrilling package of energy and design. However, look carefully and there is a common thread that draws all the apparent confusion into a clever composition: the individual touches of colour in the tapestry are amplified in the dashes of turquoise and purple used across the room.
9. Spread it overhead
Tapestries look equally good on ceilings. Here, thanks to the sloping roof, the tapestry doubles as an awning over the bed.
Tapestries look equally good on ceilings. Here, thanks to the sloping roof, the tapestry doubles as an awning over the bed.
Since most Indian homes don’t have sloping walls, a faux fabric ceiling can be created instead. If you’re going for an Arabian Nights look, this one should do the trick. But, on a serious note, a fabric-covered ceiling can make a space seem more warm and intimate. Opt for a richer colour and fabric, like silk or velvet, for the feel of a boudoir – in the bedroom, of course.
10. Remember colour coding
Often a rug’s border can work like a picture frame, drawing the eye and highlighting the central image, like the tapestry on the wall here. Moreover, the sofa being in a similar colour and the rug on the floor reflecting identical hues from the tapestry, bring a cohesiveness to the room.
Often a rug’s border can work like a picture frame, drawing the eye and highlighting the central image, like the tapestry on the wall here. Moreover, the sofa being in a similar colour and the rug on the floor reflecting identical hues from the tapestry, bring a cohesiveness to the room.
11. Find the ideal place
Sometimes there’s a perfect spot meant only for a tapestry. This floor-to-ceiling ombré wool tapestry seems to have been made for this narrow double-height wall. It looks like a painting but is much more – the dye design, complemented by the manner of its suspension (with three bamboo rods, much chicer than using metal for this particular piece), is visually stunning. The door and the bench, picking up on the orange tones, add warmth to this nearly all-white foyer.
Sometimes there’s a perfect spot meant only for a tapestry. This floor-to-ceiling ombré wool tapestry seems to have been made for this narrow double-height wall. It looks like a painting but is much more – the dye design, complemented by the manner of its suspension (with three bamboo rods, much chicer than using metal for this particular piece), is visually stunning. The door and the bench, picking up on the orange tones, add warmth to this nearly all-white foyer.
12. Hang it right
Hanging is key. The question is not ‘to hang or not to hang’, but how to hang. In my opinion, the manner of hanging a piece of textile marks the difference between a casual boho-chic look by suspending it from the corners for a relaxed softer effect (as in the picture at left) and a more elegant formal one, like the bedroom in the image below.
Hanging is key. The question is not ‘to hang or not to hang’, but how to hang. In my opinion, the manner of hanging a piece of textile marks the difference between a casual boho-chic look by suspending it from the corners for a relaxed softer effect (as in the picture at left) and a more elegant formal one, like the bedroom in the image below.
This mandala print bedsheet, potentially a casual type of wall covering, has been transformed into a formal tapestry by being fastened neatly on all sides.
Read more:
7 Ways to Create an Accent Wall Without Paint
10 Ways to Create an Unforgettable Accent Wall
Tell us:
What is your idea of a fabric wall hanging? Share your thoughts and pictures in the Comments section below.
Read more:
7 Ways to Create an Accent Wall Without Paint
10 Ways to Create an Unforgettable Accent Wall
Tell us:
What is your idea of a fabric wall hanging? Share your thoughts and pictures in the Comments section below.
Apart from injecting a dash of colour, a wall hanging this size serves to anchor the bed. The play of different colours and patterns between the Inca-style rug and the patchwork upholstered seat in the foreground does not seem jarring to the eye because of the expanse of white separating the two.