Ralph Lauren Inspired Traditionalism

While minimalistic design is a simple way to create a cohesive experience, our clients have become increasingly bored by it and nostalgic for 90's interiors. It was a time when things in a home felt lived-in and personal. Furniture was made of real wood, there were items that had been passed down, and prints competed in rooms already brimming with collectibles. It felt soulful, not staged.

Ralph Lauren has always been adept at creating spaces that feel warm and layered without feeling cluttered. He mixes his patterns and textiles effortlessly. Plaids, tartans, leathers, toiles, and others that remind us of the English countryside play together in his designs and that was our inspiration for the Mckinley Ave project.

The Pittsburgh Wallpaper Company designers began their search for a masculine landscape print that felt muted and almost abstract. We were delighted when we found the perfect combination in Lark Manor's Sherwood Glade. The paper itself is soft and buttery which made it feel like a tapestry on the wall. With the Sherwood Glade setting the scene we were able to bring in a dark mahogany four post pineapple bed which we piled high with cream and navy star embroidered quilts and blue plaid comforters. A leather bench sits below an enormous framed antique American flag which was a relic found in the basement of the 1905 home. We ordered a custom McKinley Ave as a nod to the New England tradition of sailing. A writer's desk sits in a nook beneath a moody horse portrait topped with wooden Nutcrackers and a coloring book of antique cars we picked up in the giftshop after a tour of Clayton Mansion at The Frick.

It was with intention that we brought in cream with the wallpaper, pennant, comforter and the thick drapery. Cream provides warmth while blue is cool. When working with dark colors you have to lean all the way in, possibly even color capping the ceiling (which we opted not to do) or you need to create contrast with light neutrals. The light neutrals helped the room stay balanced and not heavy or stagnant. Layered lighting in the form of an empire style chandelier, brass gooseneck desk lamp and an oversized blue stone lamp atop the dresser were also instrumental in balancing the light in the room particularly at night to create ambiance.

This is a fantastic example of how our team at the Pittsburgh Wallpaper Company can see your design project through from start to finish including sourcing the perfect wallpaper and accompaniments.