Fashion and Interior Design: Why the Best Pieces Are Both
Once You See the Crossover between Fashion and Interior Design, You Can’t Unsee It
Many of the most interesting conversations about design happen at the intersection of interior design and fashion. Once you become aware of the connection between the two, you’ll notice that many pieces cross from one world into the other with ease. A necklace becomes wall art. A suitcase becomes a coffee table. A trim borrows its style from a jewelry box, and so on…
Design inspiration doesn’t stay in one lane. It comes from many places to finally converge into new, brilliant ideas. Similarly, fashion and interiors borrow from each other constantly. The best pieces are the ones that refuse to pick a side. Here are a few examples to help you start spotting these connections in your own space.
Nature Is the Original Designer (and Lighting Knows It)
Chandeliers and lighting are some of the easiest places to see this crossover. Designers keep turning to the natural world for inspiration, and the results are sculptural and full of life:
Branches: metalwork shaped into twisting, tree-like forms
Leaves: delicate, layered silhouettes that catch the light
Mushrooms: a motif we’ve been seeing everywhere over the past four to five years
Birds: chandeliers that incorporate metal birds have been more and more prevalent in recent times.
Let’s talk trims now….
Trims follow the same logic. Many are inspired by jewelry, so think of trims as the jewelry of the interior design world. They aren’t strictly necessary, but they add so much value and pizzazz to whatever they’re aplied to. Pieces that blur the lines between fashion and interior design are extremely versatile, and that’s what makes them so fun to work with.
Fashion Finds for Your Walls and Floors
Now let’s flip the script and look at fashion pieces that have found a second life in the home.
A statement necklace as wall art (why not)? You can buy something that has one purpose, but imagine it in a completely different way. Years ago, I purchased a large scale necklace with a dragon pendant from a local Miami designer. It was clearly made to be worn, but it was too bold a piece to wear and I knew I had other plans for it as soon as I saw it. Currently, it decorates the side of my bookcase in my primary bedroom. It’s still a fashion piece, but it’s styled to fit in perfectly within the home decor space it sits in.
Vintage trunks and suitcases. Louis Vuitton trunks are a favorite to collect, and they earn their place in a home by doing more than just looking pretty:
Storage for blankets, books, or anything you’d like out of sight
A side table or accent surface
A coffee table in a smaller living room
A conversation starter
There’s also a touch of whimsy for anyone who grew up wishing a letter would arrive from a magical school. Trunks carry a sense of story and nostalgia that makes a room feel personal and have a story to tell.
Meet The Solo Boho, Where the Red Thread Begins
All of this thinking has led to The Solo Boho, a new brand built on the idea that products can function as both interior design and fashion. The Solo Boho’s first pieces were created right at that intersection.
The brand is rooted in the red thread theory: The belief found in many cultures and traditions that each of us is born with an invisible red thread tied to our finger. That thread connects us to the people, places, and things that will matter in our lives.
The Solo Boho’s founding philosophy is that nothing happens for no reason, and that everything has a purpose. You’ll see the philosophy in every product. Each piece features a touch of red, no matter the fabric or material.
Sun Drenched: A Candle That Becomes a Keepsake
This large, moon-shaped candle is my personal favorite of the entire collection. Each wooden candle vessel is hand-painted to match a vintage piece of fabric, featuring colors and patterns inspired by that unique textile. The art work was executed without much prior thought. The ideas were more of a loose thread in my mind as I went along, allowing an intuitive, in-the-moment evolution of each piece.
Every candle has a name, a word or phrase that can mean something different to everyone. The first is called Sun Drenched. It might bring to mind warm morning light filling your home, or a beach day with the people you love.
The moon candle is designed to be useful long after the wax is gone:
Burn it as a candle first.
Refill it with wax if you’d like to keep it going.
Reuse it as a jewelry or trinket dish on a nightstand or coffee table.
It also comes with a matching travel jewelry pouch, made from the same vintage fabric. Necklaces and heavier pieces go in the middle, and side pockets hold earrings, rings, and bracelets. Close it up and your jewelry is ready for the trip. It’s a functional interior design piece that doubles as a fashion companion.
The Flower Candle: Small Vessel, Second Life
In addition to the moon candles, there are smaller, flower-shaped candles in this collection. They are compact, beautiful and equally special. Each fabric story comes with two pieces: The moon candle and a flower candle. And both come with their own matching travel jewelry pouch so you can choose the one that suits you best!
This particular flower candle is called Love, inspired by the French cityscape scene on its fabric. Bits and pieces of that scene were translated onto the candle through color and pattern. Like the moon candle, it burns first, then becomes a dish for rings and small treasures once the wax is finished.
Ready to Pull Your Own Red Thread?
Fashion and interior design were never really separate worlds. They just needed pieces that could live in both. Whether you’re drawn to a hand-painted candle that becomes a keepsake dish or a travel pouch that doubles as a design object, The Solo Boho was made for people who like their things to do more than one job.
Want to be the first to hear about new releases? Subscribe to the newsletter and follow along on Instagram at @the.solo.boho. There are many more ideas on the way so follow along and don't miss out on what’s to come! As we say at the Solo Boho: “Trust Your Curiosity.”
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