On a recent flight to spend time with family my attention to my latest read on my Kindle depleted. A glance at the cover of the American Way magazine caught my intrigue. This pouched publication is rarely one touched in my infrequent travels, although it is called "the world's most beloved in flight magazine for fifty years reaching over 201 million discerning customers flying American Airlines" according to Ink Global. So shame on me for not reaching for it before.
So what lured me to this one? It was the boast of "hot this month" across the top of the cover. In particular "contemporary kilts". Ahhh! You are on board now (no pun intended-well sort of). I'm inspired by everything around me and somehow this inspiration leads back to interior design. So I had to see what this hot topic was all about.
Howie Nicholsby's 21st Century Kilts in Edinburgh "is scheming to bring back the crafted garment" per the article in American Way. And he is not using the traditional heritage fabrics, rather leather, tweed, and denim. Love this rebel!
Seems fitting to take this inspiration of a twist on tradition and apply it to our home. Modern? Perhaps not, as some of my applications went straight to furnishings steeped in design history.
Besides rethinking the fabrics, Nicholsby is adding pockets for all ranges of gadgets that seem our necessity. Modern twist or using the same custom approach to the kilt like the historic family tartan pattern which personalized this garment? I love this direction of taking a tried and true and fitting it to one's lifestyle. Just like a good interior designer does for a client.
A few years ago I was asked by a local magazine to define several trends for an upcoming year. My belief about trends is not from a fashion standpoint, instead a shifting, direction, or movement. One of my trends was called "modern with a touch of nostalgia." What I meant by this was that although there has been a shifting in interior design to a cleaner more transitional look, many clients still want a touch of nostalgia that stirs memories of a traditional look they may have called home while growing up. I think this contemporary kilt does just that.
As soon as I read about the textiles of denim and leather being used in this modern desire to create a resurgence of the kilt, the Scandinavian 1970's Arne Norell Scirocco safari chair came to mind. The worn leather, the metal screws and buckles, and the stitching is certainly a translation of the contemporary kilt in our home. Even its casual slung back greets you with the same modern approach a leather kilt brings to an outfit for today's modern gentlemen. Historically modern becomes fresh again.
Plaid certainly still embeds itself in my thinking of kilt-inspired decor. A tartan padded headboard, definitely! And I can't help but envision leather wall panels as an option to this inspiration. And the leather - a worn cognac color. After all, this contemporary kilt has a ruggedness to it, a bad boy vibe.
The combination of "leather-dipped" toss pillows give "kilt-ness" to a space because of the mix of textiles and shapes.... almost creates an ode to the pleat of a kilt.
I'm not kissing the heritage tartan goodbye in our home decor. It's a classic. Let's run with it like this pattern is scissors! Rethink your application. Ban the traditional wing chair for a fresher chair frame - then go bold.
I like this guy, Nicholsby! He's onto something great and I for one will be rethinking the kilt-inspired room!
Sources: American Way, Chairish,, Maharam, Pfeifer Studio, ArtOrigo, Decor Pad, Pinterest
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