It’s a tricky bit of business to use peacock motifs in and around your interior. True, it is a subtle and elegant idea, but its colors can’t simply be splashed about haphazardly.
While bringing its ‘strut’ into interiors and spaces can bring an exuberant touch, it doesn’t take much for the pretty array to turn into kitsch. Simply put, you’d want to avoid commiting a decorative faux pas.
The peacock got a moment in the spotlight in Paris when the Samaritaine reopened to the public on June 23, as an imposing fresco depicting the feathers of the bird, an emblem of the department store, right beneath the glass roof.
The restoration of the mosaic, originally dating from 1907, has attracted a lot of attention as it took four years of work to do justice to the masterpiece of the Art Nouveau department store.
But the majestic, exotic and regal peacock can also be used in your own interiors with its tones of blue, green and bronzy gold.
Deep and velvety for furniture
In terms of a graphic motif, the peacock is perfect for the wall. For example, at Anthropologie stores, the feathers have been given clean and contemporary lines, while it gets a stylised, beveled approach for wallpaper at Spoonflower, perfect for a living room or office.
For a black and white aesthetic, Moodntone has created a wall decoration that has appealing gridwork.
The peacock can be used to transform a space with poetry and lightness, or more dramatically, into an entrance for a theatrical welcome.
Light and airy in a bouquet of flowers
Furniture also gets adorned with the beautiful feather patterns. The evanescence of the feathers combines with rich, velvety materials for a unique effect.
At Made.com, the Margot armchair uses blue-green or pink velvet, with copper work for the feet. As a decorative echo or just a small touch, it can be affixed to a door as a handle or to a set of drawers as a ceramic knob.
Finally, the peacock comes to the table on placemats or even plates. Unless you prefer to hang it on the wall. In this case, you could consider a ceramic plate, worked and painted entirely by hand.