How to bring the Matisse-inspired interiors trend into your home

Whether you’re looking to take an art class or to buy a print for your wall, this is how to incorporate the look into your space

Elevate your interiors while you're spending all your time at home (The Independent)

Henri Matisse’s fine line drawings and art work has emerged into the world of interiors, fast becoming a go-to design for minimalist soft furnishings.

The French painter, sculptor and graphic designer created a series of sequences called Thèmes et Variations in the 1940s depicting a simplified female form using just pen and ink. The design has had a major resurgence and many art prints, homewares and fashion brands have created their own interpretation of this style.

If you want to try and in create your own Matisse-inspired artwork at home while under lockdown, artist Jessica Yoland Kaye is running a workshop where you can learn how.

You can join the class, freeing up your hand and mind, on 22 April at 7pm. The workshop is free, but Jessica has suggested voluntary donations of £10, which will be donated to the food bank charity, The Trussell Trust to help those in need during the pandemic.

The video tutorials will take you through ways to draw in a similar style to her own, often one-line, detailing objects and figures that are reminiscent of Matisse.

There’s also plenty of products to kit out your humble abode and give it a little refresh, seeing as we're all spending far more time in it for a little longer. This is our Matisse-inspired edit.

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Artwork

First things first, upgrade blank walls with a simple piece of artwork, which in Matisse style are minimal and mostly black and white, meaning you won’t need to worry about colours clashing, like this three faces line art, £21.95 from Desenio.

Wall ornaments like this one from Trouva would work on a contrasting coloured wall

Or if you prefer a wall ornament, this white matt white face, £44.49 from Trouva, is a handmade piece created from earthenware pottery.

There’s a carefully concealed suspension hook in its back and to clean, simply wipe over with a damp cloth. It’s sophisticated, chic and simple.

Tableware

Making our way into the kitchen, pick up a cup of coffee in this hestia mug, £12 from Anthropologie. It’s decorated with a simply drawn face surrounded by floral designs with "love is love" written on the inside.

The hand-painted stoneware is also part of a dining set with matching plates to accompany it, if you want to re-vamp more of your kitchenware.

The hestia mug from Anthropologie is part of a wider crockery set you could also buy

Or, once you’ve sipped on your morning brew, set it down on an abstract face coaster, £11 from Trouva, that come in a set of four and are made from porcelain.

They’re also an easy style to try and replicate if you did want to try your hand at painting, drawing or other skills you pick up while in lockdown.

Soft furnishings

If a new sofa isn't an option and you want a new look, spruce up a your existing one with a scattering of cushions for an instant makeover.

This embroidered face cushion, £25 from Made, combines a vibrant palette with a cleanly-drawn outline of facial features that will inject colour into your space and upgrade your interiors.

The neutral tones of Made's cushion can bring new life to a sofa

Elsewhere, Etsy has a wide range of home furnishings that take inspiration from Matisse’s drawings, like this modern-art pillow, £22.95, that’s a more detailed print but still monochromatic.

Decorative accessories

For those finishing touches on a newly renovated home, try a colourful vase like this multi-coloured patterned cylinder, £40 from Habitat.

It's a real statement piece which will look equally as good whether it’s full of flowers or not.

Find something to show off in the vase from one of these online letterbox florists, or a bunch of dried flowers that will last for years.

Habitat has also taken inspiration from a few artists with this cylindrical vase design

For keys, wallets, or jewellery, this line drawn clay plate, £15 from Etsy, is the perfect way to keep your valuables together at the front door to save a last-minute panic before you head out to the supermarket for essentials or on your daily exercise.

Read our guide on how to nail your next DIY interiors project