Welcome to Nest by Tamara

Welcome to Nest by Tamara
Tamara Matthews Stephenson is the creative talent behind this journal dedicated to interior design, history and lifestyle inspiration. With a passion for design and a keen eye for aesthetics, she shares her expertise and insights. Tamara has established herself as a prominent figure in the world of interior design and her design philosophy is rooted in the idea that a well-designed home can elevate the quality of life. Beyond her writing, She is an interior designer and textile designer as the Creative Director and Owner of root cellar designs, LLC, an artisan line of textile and wallpaper. Connect with Tamara through email at rootcellardesings@gmail.com

Why In Design- Let's Explore the Historic and Beautiful Paisley Pattern on Textiles

Lahore Sushil Kumar Datta, Scotland, 1969

Our Love For

Paisley Realized,
the history of this beautiful

design on textiles

Warner & Sons
English, 1980's
image via V&A Museum

The paisley pattern is such a pretty design, and many consider it a new style. But, did you know the design can be traced back to the 11th century, and all the way to Kasmir in India?  It’s has many origins and sources around the world in history, and became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries by the Persians.  The name was given to the pattern by a town in Scotland where textiles were manufactured.  Many believe this design was inspired by the cypress tree then combined with a floral spray to create the well-known tear-drop/pinecone shape.  

The design has cycled in and out of fashion many times throughout history.  The Brits loved it on their textiles in the 1960's and it made it to the United States during the "hippie generation" when it was adopted and adorned on fashion, wallpaper and fabric and combined in unexpected hues during the "Summer of Love" in the late 1960s. Back to the Brits- The Beatles loved the design and helped to make it popular adding a psychedelic spin.  
Paisley Bouquet - Morton Sundour Fabric 1960's
V&A Museum

Again, over a decade later the Paisley returned in the 1980’s adorning fashion designers frocks by designers like Ralph Lauren who added the design regularly with moody hues to create a more “preppy aesthetic”.  As you can see the Paisley has had many lives. Check out our Paisley Tiktok here, and our Paisley Pin Board here
root cellar designs modern
Paisley designs will debut Spring 2025




So, when we decided to create a new textile and wallpaper collection in our root cellar designs line for 2024, we wanted Paisleys to be included, and we feel a comeback! Look for our Boho Atelier collection to debut this spring, 2024. We added the paisley design to our fabric pattern, Paisley Moderne.

Happy Nesting
XO Tamara