I have only recently become familiar with the beauty of vintage Guatemalan Textiles. Since I am based at the coast in California, the indigo blue Guatemalan fabrics work particularly well for home decor.  Indigo blue textiles, especially the more worn and faded pieces, make a nice addition to a home with casual style because of the warmth and durability of the cloth. The vintage corte cloth above and below were originally woven to be worn as garments. The term "corte" means skirt. These two textiles are quite heavy so it's a novelty to imagine a tiny indigenous Guatemalan woman wearing them!

inGuatemalan corte cloth makes up into comfortable and durable pillows.  The two large pillows above made their way to a new home in Florida after hurricane Harvey. These global-style pillows are the only two of a kind due to the vintage ikat corte cloth that was used to custom make them. Pillows are just one way to display vintage Guatemalan indigo ikat fabrics.

Guatemalan corte cloth is woven with a back strap loom. Beautiful ikat patterns are created with indigo and often mixed with other naturally dyed colors. The Guatemalan corte cloth fabric above has purple, soft plum, and green to liven up the design. You could use a textile like this to place on a table, use as a pick nick blanket, make pillows, or use for slipcovers.

In the photo above, ARA Collective has mixed vintage and new pieces of Guatemalan indigo fabric to display as wraps. The indigo textiles with the fringe are created more recently by artisan coops within Guatemala. I have seen them woven large enough to cover a bed with retail prices topping $500 USD.

Gray fabrics work as neutrals in any interior space and Morrissey Fabric offers vintage shibori textiles in many shades of gray.  Above are several vintage Asian hill tribe textiles in one of a kind gray hues.  Each one is a slightly different color gray which gives these shibori fabrics their distinctive personality. The pillows in the center are two of a kind offered only at Morrissey Fabric.

Gray interior decor can be adapted to suit many styles. Above is a cozy space created by Decoratio. The rustic cottage furnishings and linen pillows work well to create a relaxing family room of gray.  Who knew? Don't limit your impression of gray interiors to a contemporary modern style.

Gray interiors to minimal for you? Then add a bit of color to a gray-themed space.  Sea glass greens and soft sky blue will give your room a coastal feel. Something as simple as glass bead garlands can be used as inspiration. Place the on a table top or window sill for extra color and a hint of sparkle.

Home BNC combined several neutral colors to the well designed kitchen and family room in the photo. The painting on the right in the interior space could easily have been the inspiration for the combination of colors in the rooms.  Also note the pillows on the chairs. The prints have gray, white and various shades of soft blue.

Design Seeds provides well thought out color palettes for interior design inspiration. They get their color palettes from a source that never goes wrong; nature. When earning my BFA in painting, I had a color theory professor that had us bring cut flowers, twigs and leaves to the studio. She gave us the task of observing then painting all of the colors we could see within two of the items. It was a valuable lesson in training my eye for color.  If you are stuck, look at nature and you will automatically be drawn to the colors you like best. It's a great jumping off point even if you later change direction.

Gray textiles can handle the addition of most any color.  For this post I'm sticking with fabrics and accessories in greens and blues. What do you think of the photo by Heavy Threads? They successfully  incorporated gray with indigo blue African textiles. Not only are the colors a win-win, the contemporary sofa in heather gray supports the vintage indigo textiles from Africa quite nicely.

The variety of African indigo textiles seen here will give you the relaxed look inspired by the Heavy Threads interior space. There is a wide selection in the Morrissey Fabric website store as well as in the Etsy shop. Or send me a message if you would like custom pillows.  And just in case you are wondering, a future post will share ideas for using gray with pinks and yellows.