Draping Cowhides

Jill Brinson drapes a cowhide on a white settee/sofa

I love decorating with cowhide rugs. Lately I have been seeing them off the floor and onto the furniture. And I'm not talking about some hokey ranch style decorating, but a rather chic and pretty application.

Jill Brinson drapes a white cowhide on the dining room table

Jill Brinson is the "new" darling designer du jour of decor bloggers, recently "discovered" and put on the cover of the 2009 December.January issue of House Beautiful. She is hardly a design novice, being the creative director for Ballard Designs.

Jill Brinson uses a cowhide ont he floor in the master bedroom

Recently Stephen Drucker the editor of House Beautiful did a very good interview on the Skirted Round Table, and talked about discovering Jill for House Beautiful. He couldn't exactly remember how her work was submitted, saying it "came over the transom" and he and his staff liked it and next thing you know Jill is on the cover.
(Note: Start throwing yourself over the transom at HB!)

Jill Brinson combines country and urban loft style

Her style is an combination of country and loft, and I love the way she gets the cowhides up off the floor, and also the way she uses one conventionally as a rug in her master bedroom. I also like that she uses several throughout the house.
I have two cowhides in my house, and contemplating getting another one, and the only thing that held me back was not wanting the house to look like Rancho Vamp. Jill Brinson shows me how to do it!

On a recent trip to New York last July, I saw this cowhide draped couch in the uber stylish shop Moss down in Soho. At first I thought it was about styling and merchandising the cowhide, but as I looked closer, this is the way the couch is designed and sold. I made a mental note to try getting cowhides off the floor at my house.

But I don't think it's as easy to get this look simply by tossing a cowhide on a chair.

No this is not my house and that is not Cholo - photo via Google Images

What about cowhide printed fabric? I say no, but yet this party table looks kind of cute.

So does that mean using a real cowhide as a tablecloth is a good idea like Jill Brinson does? Maybe in this case it would look better draped and layered with another texture.

And do not do this! Do not buy a cowhide print comforter (with matching shams and pillows yet!).

When you see how Jill Brinson does something so artful and so seemingly simple with cowhides, you can appreciate her talent. I predict that in 2010 cowhide rugs will still be with us, and they will be used off the floor too!

Jill Brinson images via House Beautiful