Years ago, back when people used to buy plastic covers for their “good furniture” and plastic carpet runners, tassels were high-class (as my grandmother would say). The “rich folks” would have tassel tie backs for their lush draperies, tassels incorporated into their “drapes”, on pillows with fringe, on lamps even.
It seems like when modern and contemporary styles became more popular, the tassel all but disappeared from the decorating world. For a long time, they were associated with an older, more traditional generation… or the English. Even now when we see tassels everywhere again, there still seems to be a bit of a decorating stigma attached. I run into people out shopping all the time who seem to think they are for very formal “stuffy” applications. They say things like “what are you going to use that for?” or “those are so pretty, but where would you use them?” or “I just don’t have the kind of curtains I can use that with“.
Interestingly enough, I have seldom used tassels as curtain tie backs for a client. What I have used them for are:
- to hang from cabinet knobs or drawer pulls as decoration
- to hang on the ends of a curtain rod (as opposed to as a tie back)
- to add flair to (hanging) decorative towels in the bathroom
- dangling from a decorative book on a desk or table (think of a fancy bookmark)
- and yes, I have even hung tassels from lamps in a tween girls room (super girly)
Would you or have you used tassels to decorate recently? If you have, I’d love see how you’ve used them – share your story or application!
photo credits: Nationalmuseet via photopin cc, matt.hintsa via photopin cc, RubyGoes via photopin cc, Xtraordinary by Design
