If you haven’t yet noticed in all of your design-related perusings, macramé is back in a big way (which never ceases to amaze as I grew up with it adorning the walls of my childhood home – hello internet, I am old). While macramé is often synonymous with the boho-jungalow lifestyle, the new book Modern Macramé: 33 Stylish Projects for Your Handmade Home, by Emily Katz, proves otherwise.
The just-released book is a stylish, contemporary guide to the traditional art and craft of macramé, including 33 projects, from driftwood wall art and bohemian light fixtures to macramé rugs and headboards. The projects are showcased in easy to follow and photogenic project layouts, guiding both the novice and the more experienced crafter in a highly achievable way. Like you could make a plant-hanger, a handbag, a wall hanging and even a chair!
Included with every project are thoughtful lifestyle tips showing how macramé can provide the perfect finishing touch for the modern, well-designed home–whether it’s a hundred-year-old farmhouse, a sophisticated loft, or a cozy but stylish rental. Emily, the book’s author, is a creative consultant, interior designer, macramé teacher and artist.
But what I love most about this book are the peeks into some beautiful spaces, particularly this apartment in Copenhagen – it is by far my favorite. As you scroll you’ll understand why this stunning space graces the book’s cover. It is decidedly modern (though not modernist – more on that, keep scrolling), and there’s nary a jungle print in sight.
This home really shows off how macramé can in fact be woven (ha! macramé pun) into virtually any decor style.
This apartment in Copenhagen is home to architects Justine Bell and Jonas Diernes. I love how they’ve restored original old world details – the floors, the molding, the window casings – but then clearly mixed in new, contemporary materials, furnishings and lightning.
The lovely additions of Emily’s macramé pieces add texture and offer a handmade, organic feel that juxtaposes with the classic danish modern pieces and the variety of hard surfaces throughout the apartment.
The home features a variety of new surfaces and materials including plaster, copper, steel and wood, but the materials are all kept in their raw state. The designers explained it as a reaction to the many decades worth of wallpaper and linoleum which was peeled away. It makes this home a study in contrasts, but a beautiful one that just all works.
The bedroom is a great example of mixing high and low. The bed is made of construction materials and the stool is from Ikea! A macramé plant hanger is strong a copper clothes rack to add life. The fact that it’s made of black cord (vs the typical natural cord) makes it feel even more modern and striking.
Macramé is such a great addition to a child’s space.
