I've long been loyal to leopard. For years, it was my shortcut to making a corner feel cooler, maybe even a little contrarian. But alas, oversaturation has once again sunk its claws. In 2026, I’m pivoting to tiger – the cat’s more rebellious cousin and, after six years in the same apartment, it's just the jolt my stale space needs.
The animal print slipped back into mind at the start of the year thanks to Ruggable’s collaboration with heritage textile house Scalamandré. Tigre – an ombré-to-perfection melt of gold into tan – is hardly a new tiger, but rather a washable resurrection of the brand’s iconic 1960s silk velvet, arguably the most recognizable (and most beautiful) tiger motif in existence.
Deploying a rug that ferocious in a living room or bedroom is the obvious move. But the washability of the collection made me think about using the pattern as a solo provocation in less-precious places as well – prowling down a hallway, scaling a staircase, even anchoring the floor beneath a kitchen sink.
While tiger print – contrary to popular belief – is a neutral, it also purrs when you indulge its wild side.
I think back to my stay at The Lafayette Hotel in San Diego last summer, where the lobby paired a tiger-print accent chair with opulent Deco chandeliers, dramatically swagged drapery, and a chrome-rimmed bistro table opposite a striped banquette that, on closer inspection, featured panels of whisper-soft leopard.
It’s a great example that more might actually be more. Answer tiger’s call for a little glamour – and, if you dare, even a dose of pattern-drenching.
Few pattern trends move so effortlessly between Park Avenue polish and rock ’n’ roll royalty. And for 2026 interior design trends, I've decided that I don’t need subtle. I need stripes.
Seeing both the minimal and maximal potential of this print, I’ve happily been entering the tiger’s den, combing through the archives of unabashed pattern devotees like House of Hackney, while clocking its creep into less expected territory, such as the typically minimal CB2, and even a cotton towel collection at Anthropologie.
Tiger, it seems, has a better bite than we thought.
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