Animal print has never been the quiet choice, and current trends are going even bolder. Whimsical images on walls and graphic abstractions on upholstery add a taste of the exotic, and plush pelts on flooring create a literal walk on the wild side. Today’s animal print is so much more than a trend. It’s a tool. And nobody wields it better than Lauren Bald and Cameo Winn of Salt Lake City’s A\ Typical Design Studio.
“I consider animal print basically a neutral,” Bald says. “It goes with anything—any genre, any style, any decade. It can be very traditional, more subdued, or layered and eclectic. It’s a trend, but also timeless.”
Bald and Winn started A\ Typical nearly four years ago, and their portfolio reveals talent that’s anything but “typical.” Every project is given a song title as its “anthem” and features brave decisions and expertise at turning clients’ wishlists into spaces with swagger.
“We don’t have a signature style,” Bald notes. “We work with our clients’ personal style—what they have, or what they aspire to—and create something distinct to them.” And today’s animal prints fit right in.
Big Cats Are Where It’s At
Leopard and cheetah have long been mainstays in interior design. But tigers have taken their place at the top of the food chain. Their feline forms are showing up on bedding, rugs, wall art, and more.
Within the tiger kingdom, one particular species keeps surfacing: the Tibetan tiger, with its stylized stripes and grinning faces. Originally woven on protective rugs for Buddhist monks, this graphical tiger is now one of the most desired patterns in design—adding a curated aesthetic to any space. Adorning everything from wallpaper and upholstery to accent pillows and hand towels, the print reads more like art than animal.
A\ Typical has their own tiger stories. A large Tibetan tiger makes a bold statement on a House of Hackney upholstered chair in a recent project. And in “Paint It Black,” clients who liked a little edge went bold. “They wanted a bar area. They loved black, and they loved a sexy vibe,” Bald recalls. So, A\ Typical created a focal point with wallpaper in a Gucci tiger print (now discontinued) that was just what the space called for.
Lions and Tigers and… Zebras? And More.
Zebra is also having a bit of a moment—not only geometric images of zebras on vibrant accent pillows, but also in wide swaths of flooring. “We just did a stair runner that’s zebra print, and it’s so cool,” Bald says.
The bold, graphic drama of zebra instantly draws the eye. But other animal prints can be more tame. On the opposite end of the spectrum is fawn print with soft, irregular spots in warm biscuit and chestnut. It acts like a subtle neutral that reveals itself only when you get close.
In Utah, cowhide has always been part of the mountain vocabulary. “There’s leather on everything,” Bald points out. “That’s an animal print, too.” The difference now is application. The geometric spots bring cowboy culture to a polished mix of pillows. And cowhide on sleek accent furniture makes the traditional animal print look completely modern.
Some of the best applications are small and unexpected. In a recent library project, the A\ Typical designers tucked a playful monkey print onto the back of a bookshelf, behind the art. It’s a surprise that comes into focus slowly. “You don’t realize what it is until you look closely,” Bald explains.
Ready to Walk on the Wild Side?
If you’re ready to try a new breed of animal print in your own home, it’s easy to start small. “Splurge on throw pillows,” Bald continues. “That’s low commitment. If you don’t love it, you’re not ripping down wallpaper.”
Hardware is another unique way to veer from the predictable: drawer pulls shaped like jaguar heads, snake-shaped door handles, lion-claw feet on chairs. Bald advises, “Find fun hardware on sites like Etsy for an off-the-shelf dresser, and it immediately feels custom.”
For a bigger splash, consider bringing in experts with a trained eye like A\ Typical. “Balancing animal print with other finishes in a room really is an art,” Bald explains. “A lot comes down to scale. Pair two large prints and it feels overwhelming. Pull a subtle tone from one print and carry it through, and it feels balanced without being matchy. Doing that well is one of the things we bring to the table as designers.”
And if you’re nervous to let your inner animal out of its cage, don’t be. “It’s okay for your home to be an ever-evolving space,” Bald concludes. “And animal print? It’s never going to go out of style.”
