Toile has a fussy reputation. Matching toile curtains, toile bedding and toile wallpaper, all in the same blue pattern, in a guest room nobody uses.
Used with restraint, it's one of the most charming patterns there is. A single wall of brown and cream woodland toile behind the bed, with simple solid bedding in front of it. The wallpaper sets the mood, deer and trees and a little fall countryside, so the bed doesn't need to try.
What toile is
Toile de Jouy is a pattern of detailed pastoral scenes, usually printed in one color on a light background. It originated in 18th-century France. Classic toiles show people and countryside; woodland toiles show deer, birds and trees.
Choose one color on cream
The toiles that look freshest are one color on cream or off-white:
- Brown on cream: warm, autumnal. Shown here.
- Blue on white: classic and crisp.
- Green on cream: botanical.
- Black on cream: graphic and modern.
For a fall bedroom, brown on cream is the obvious choice.
One wall, not four
A single toile wall behind the bed is enough. It frames the bed like a painting. In a small guest room, all four walls can work, but keep everything else in the room solid.
Simple bedding
With a busy pattern on the wall, the bed must be plain:
- Cream linen bedding.
- An olive quilt.
- A rust lumbar pillow.
- A chunky oatmeal knit throw.
No toile bedding. Pattern on pattern in the same toile looks dated.
A painted bed
A painted cream wooden or iron bed frame suits toile perfectly, a little French farmhouse. Dark wood can feel heavy against the busy pattern.
Other places toile works
If a whole wall feels like too much:
- A toile lampshade on a simple base.
- A toile upholstered headboard with plain walls.
- Toile curtains with plain walls and bedding.
- A framed toile panel above the bed.
Pick one.
Wood and textures
Oak nightstands, a rush-seat chair, a woven basket. Natural textures keep the room from tipping into formal.
Keeping it from feeling old-fashioned
- Keep bedding solid.
- Add one modern piece, like a sleek lamp or abstract art on another wall.
- Use warm, relaxed textiles like linen and knit rather than satin.
Where toile works best
Toile suits some rooms better than others:
- Guest bedrooms, where a bit of charm and pattern is welcome.
- Attic bedrooms with sloped ceilings, where toile on every surface creates a cozy, enveloping feel.
- Older houses with traditional architecture.
- Small bedrooms, where one pattern wall adds interest without taking floor space.
It's harder in a very modern, minimal space. There, a toile lampshade or pillow is the better route.
Toile through the seasons
The beauty of a brown woodland toile is that it feels right from fall through winter. In spring and summer, lighten the bed with white linen and a green quilt; the toile shifts from autumnal to pastoral. The wall stays and the bedding changes.
Choosing the scale
Toile patterns vary in scale. Small-scale toiles look busy from across the room and work best on lampshades and pillows. Large-scale toiles, with scenes 20 inches or more across, look calmer on walls and read almost like a mural. For a bedroom wall, go large.
What it costs
- Toile wallpaper for one wall: $150 to $600.
- Toile lampshade or pillow: $40 to $150.
Mistakes to avoid
- Matching toile everything. One place only.
- Multi-color toile. One color on cream looks freshest.
- Toile bedding with toile walls.
- Satin and ruffles alongside.
Toile bedroom FAQ
How do you decorate a bedroom with toile?
Use toile on one surface, a wall, headboard or curtains, and keep everything else solid and natural.
Is toile wallpaper outdated?
Overused toile can look dated. A single wall of one-color toile looks charming and current.
What bedding goes with toile wallpaper?
Solid cream or white linen with one or two colors pulled from the toile.
What colors go with brown toile?
Cream, olive, rust and oak.
