You would be hard-pressed to find a wardrobe without a pair of blue denim jeans in it. Robust and effortlessly cool, they seem to outlive every trend. They might, every few years, regenerate as a pair of drain pipes or bell bottoms depending on the current fashion, but they remain a staple. Like hardwood floorboards or white cotton bedding, denim is such a classic fabric that in fashion it has become a neutral. Crucially, though, it isn't boring. It's like that friend you could put next to anyone at a dinner party: appealing but not scene-stealing, reliable but not dull. And denim is as timeless and durable in your house as it is in your wardrobe.
‘Like natural linen, denim has a timeless quality that pairs beautifully with both earthy tones and richer colours, making it versatile in interiors,’ explains Svetlana Williams from Franquemont, the interior design house with a focus on wallpapers and textiles. ‘Denim works particularly well in living rooms, bedrooms and studies, where you want a space to feel calm yet layered. It can bring depth without overwhelming a room.’
Denim is unique because the colour isn’t separate from the texture but necessarily created by the material, which is what creates that cool blue wash flecked with white threads. It also has a nice yield to it, so it’s not rigid to sit on, and its high rub count (a way of measuring the durability of a material) means it won’t need to be replaced for a long time. And in any case, wear from usage or bleaching from the sun tends to add to denim’s appeal. This is why the perfect place for denim is in heavy-traffic areas, like the banquettes in both Lucy Williams and Matilda Goad’s timeless schemes. They blend into the interiors and don’t obviously show stains and marks, so it’s great for dining areas and for kids and pets. Matilda also used the leftover denim on a £10 ottoman found at auction, bringing it to life with a material that won’t easily be damaged by sticky fingers or muddy feet.
Can I make a case for the denim sofa? First, let's agree that sofas can be tricky things to upholster in a timeless fashion. There was a phase about ten years ago when you couldn’t move for green velvet. We all thought we’d found the perfect solution with a forever fabric that seemed stylish, elegant and forgiving of fingerprints. But within a year or two, the jewel-tone plush ‘staples’ were getting stale. The problem is the more “classic” neutrals (oatmeal, cream, grey) are neither hardwearing nor particularly exciting. I grew up with a denim sofa in my childhood home and while it made a statement (referring to the kind of classic American houses made chic by Ralph Lauren), it was also like a shock absorber for anything from colouring pencils to coffee. The covers can be tossed in the washing machine and only get better with age. Adorning a denim sofa with cushions and blankets is easy: patterns, bright colours, different shades of denim, or oatmeal tones all look excellent, and a sheepskin rug thrown over the back adds to the western nod.
Svetlana emphasises that denim-adjacent products can have a similar jean-like quality. ‘My favourite interpretation isn’t literal denim fabric, but richly woven textiles in deep indigo or faded blue tones,’ she explains. ‘We often draw inspiration from historic Dutch textiles and natural indigo dyes, which have a softness and complexity that only improves over time.’
Part of the joy of denim is the colour itself; from rich blue-violet indigo, to the dark grey-blue of selvedge denim (particularly trendy in recent years), to the bleached out cotton-y blue of summer denim. ‘Denim as a colour is very versatile and unpretentious,’ explains Jessica Osborne, founder of the eponymous British fabric and wallpaper studio, which features a range of textiles in varying shades of denim blue. ‘It's a grounding shade that seems to bring out the richness of the colours around it.’ As well as highlighting other colours (particularly in biscuit and brown shades, which look brilliant with indigo and denim), it somehow also seems to match everything, like our favourite pair of jeans.
‘For a wall colour, denim blue feels comfortable in almost any setting, as long as it's used appropriately according to the light,’ explains Jessica. ‘In brighter rooms, it works beautifully as an all over wall colour,’ as seen here in Lucy Williams’ iconic living room, painted in the archive Farrow & Ball colour ‘Yonder’. The contrasting mustard Maker & Son sofa provides a counter to the bright blue walls, but has some of that denim texture.
‘In spaces with less natural light, I think it works better as an accent on joinery, cabinetry or upholstery where it adds character without overwhelming the room.’ ‘De Nimes’ by Farrow & Ball is a great example of this; named after the material’s french origin, it brightens up this room seen here in the small loo of Joanne Burgess’ Henley house, which uses Farrow & Ball’s ‘Light Blue’ on the walls and ‘De Nimes’ for the woodwork. ‘It also pairs naturally with earthy tones such as greens, browns and terracotta – combinations we see in nature every day,’ says Jessica.
So, whether you’re looking for a wash of classic blue jeans in your living room, or the durability of a denim sofa, this is the neutral that will always look as classic and stylish in your home as your favourite pair of Levi’s.
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