What I wouldn’t give to live inside the pastoral scenes of a toile de Jouy print. The sheep grazing and hounds leaping paint a countryside fantasy I’ll never understand as an L.A. native. Still, for this California girl, even the most idyllic meadows have nothing on snow, which is why I’m obsessed with the emerging winter toile interior design trend.
Toile de Jouy, the 18th-century French fabric of finely detailed, repeatable scenes in a single color, has always been shorthand for taste. Usually coded for summer (no one’s fantasy pastoral includes snowshoes), it’s now been recast for winter.
Interior designer Olivia Martin chalks up this new (old) fascination to ‘grandmillennial' style, which, as she explains, ‘combines old, classic, timeless designs with modernism to produce a new, advanced appearance.’ Toile, she adds, is ‘timeless, though it has its ups and downs over time,’ cycling back often enough to feel always new, always vintage, and somehow always in style.
To style winter toile, Olivia says lean into the season’s textures (think chunky knits, velvet, and brushed cotton), but don’t overdo it. Balance is everything: ‘In order to make winter-themed toile not a tacky affair, pay attention to balance and careful layering. Restrict the use of accent colors to two or three colors – ideally, ones that tie back to the base shade of the print.
So while the snow outside may be frightful (and for this California native now living in New York City, alarmingly so), the snowy scenes ahead are worth welcoming inside.
This Target throw could pass for an antique-shop score – or better yet, something pulled from your very chic grandmother’s sofa. It hums with the French pattern’s classic sensibilities, evergreen included, which makes it feel especially right for winter. Style it with cognac leather, oxblood, or metallics for a worn-in kind of opulence.
Designer Katie Kime has never met a pattern she couldn’t make louder. Forget 18th-century snow scenes (snowshoes like tennis racquets, Davy Crockett hats) and think après-ski for the 21st century. Her prints trade pastoral for playful – figures clinking cocktails, mountainside romance – basically high season in Salt Lake.
A rug might sound like an odd thing to swap seasonally. Too much hassle, right? In reality, it’s less of a lift than changing your duvet cover, and the impact is unmatched. Even if you switch nothing else, a winter toile rug transforms the room. This one’s from Ruggable, which means it’s kitchen-friendly, hosting mishaps included.
This scalloped plate set feels like a snowy storybook brought to life in porcelain, complete with cabins, woods, and winding paths. Layer them with your everyday dinnerware, and suddenly it feels winter-ready. Sturdy enough for pies and casseroles, but beautiful enough to display on a Christmas mantle.
Another standout from Katie Kime isn’t just her modern spin on toile, but the fact that this wallpaper is peel-and-stick (removable papers rarely have this much polish). Try one of the six available colorways in a guest bathroom this season and watch every visitor take note.
Cozy Earth almost never touches pattern, which makes their new winter toile drop all the more iconic. The cult-favorite bamboo viscose is as silky as ever, now dressed in woodland motifs that slip playfully out from beneath a solid duvet. Add a Bubble Cuddle Blanket at the foot of the bed and you're set.
Turns out, toile isn't just a print for the summer; it's transitioning nicely into fall and winter too, adding a subtle print to layer with cozy throws, pillows, and sheets.
