Plaid Finds Its Way Home For Fall

By Heather Summerville
October 25, 2010

Trend: It's like clockwork: The first crisp chill in the air sends people diving into their closets for the cozy comfort of something plaid. But this fall, you're just as likely to spread the vintage plaid print around your home as you are to wear it. That's because whether it's on your body or plastered on a wall, plaid—in its many incarnations—is steeped in the sort of woodsy charm that no one can get enough of this fall.

Seen In: This month's Anthropologie catalog sports a set of mismatched furniture in the rustic plaid print. Pottery Barn and the highly-lauded Pennsylvania interiors boutique Terrain are both stocking smaller home decor flourishes, like plaid bench cushions or plaid throw blankets. And Betty Draper's trendy kitchen design on the hit AMC series Mad Men is covered in a pale plaid wallpaper that would feel just as at home in a modern-day dining room.

Plaid in Our Midst

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Plaid lawn chairs (Photo courtesy of Three Potato Four)
Sofa and pillows covered in Osborne and Little fabric. (Photo courtesy of Osborne and Little)
Room featuring a mismatched plaid sofa from Anthropologie's September catalog. (Photo courtesy of Anthropologie)
Plaid wallpaper as seen on the set of Mad Men. (Photo courtesy of AMC)
Pendleton traveler's blanket. (Available at Terrain)
Lampshades covered in Osborne and Little fabric. (Photo courtesy of Design Sponge)
A corner of the Brimfield boutique in Chicago. (Photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy)
Plaid-lined Woodsman Sleeping Bag. (Available at Brook Farm General)
Plaid plates as art, as seen in Domino magazine. (Photo via flickr)
A rustic entryway featuring a plaid bench cushion.(Available at Pottery Barn)
Tartan plaid passport covers. (Photo courtesy of Vicki Horton's blog Corner Paint)
A load of plaid picnic blankets. (Photo courtesy of Vicki Horton's blog Corner Paint)
Stacked up plaid plates. (Photo courtesy of Vicki Horton's blog Corner Paint)

Loved By: eBay shoppers—listings for items with the term "plaid" in the Home & Garden category are up 21 percent and sales are up 45 percent in the past 30 days compared with a 30 day period approximately a year ago. Even trendsetting interior decorating experts are supporting the resurgence of plaid designs, like San Francisco-based interior designer trend setter Geoffrey De Sousa, who recently upholstered a chair for himself in his family's plaid tartan. "It gave me a wonderful sense of connection to my history," he says. "And that’s what everyone is drawn to in this print, I think: nostalgia. Right now, there’s such a desire for homey patterns." This sentiment is echoed at the Chicago boutique Brimfield (5219 N. Clark St., 773-271-3501), according to its owner, Julie Fernstrom. "I'm definitely, without a doubt, selling more plaid pieces," says Fernstrom. "I sell over 1,000 plaid blankets a year in my store—a lot of the vintage ones purchased directly from eBay! You know, I always tell people that even if you have a modern home, you can work a little plaid into your décor. It adds a comforting, familiar touch no matter what it surrounds."