We’re big on the iridescent/unicorn/mermaid craze around these parts, so when we heard from our friends at Pinterest that they sniffed out a new, related trend—mermaid tiles and fish scale motifs—we just had to share. Last year, we reported on the look, but the seafaring motif seems to have continued to gain traction.
From Pinterest : “Mermaid scales and mermaid tiles are up more than 100% year-over-year, and while it sounds a little crazy to makeover your house with a mermaid theme, there are thousands of subtle (and non-permanent) ways to incorporate this trend.” We couldn’t agree more. Read on to be seduced by the look in kitchens, bathrooms and home decor.
Above: From Homes to Love , the most mermaid-y mermaid tiles we ever did see are gorgeous in this modern kitchen, lending depth, pizzazz and tons of visual intrigue.
Style guru Emily Henderson takes the fish scale shape to the floor to break up all the classic white in the above bathroom. Keeping the shape in a neutral gray may be unmermaid-like, but it’s certainly still beautiful, isn’t it?
The designers of Manhattan restaurant Musket Room employed a unique take on the trend: ground the shape in concrete and juxtapose it with warm, rustic wood flooring.
I just love the color mix of this accent wall in a bathroom from Home Polish . The variety of blues and greens (and interesting glazing) makes this feel plucked straight from the ocean.
What do you do when you are working with something as beautiful as the petite mermaid tile above from T Magazine ? You put it on every wall of your bathroom, of course (and keep it the star by painting everything else in the space the same deep navy color).
Love the “mermaid tile” look, but want something a little more subtle? Take inspiration from the above kitchen spotted on Digs Digs , which toned down the bold pattern by keeping it in a simple white with gray grouting.
From Mercury Mosaics , another look at crisp white fishscale tile kitchen backsplash.
The mermaid look is all about iridescence and a mystical appeal, but there’s something about these honed, matte tiles from Fired Earth that still feel pretty magical to me.
The mermaid/fishscale motif isn’t just for walls and floors; it’s equally awe-inspiring on furniture, like this stunning piece from A2 Designers .
Let’s say you’re a renter, or crave the mermaid motif but don’t want to commit, what do you do? Well, Quadro Style on Etsy offers vinyl, laminated decals for the existing tiles in your home (and can be used in the bathroom, as well!).
Go full-blown mermaid with this DIY found on Design*Sponge that takes a traditional paper lantern light and transforms it into an enchanting fixture.
Ginger & Jagger’s Ananaz side tables wear the scalloped pattern beautifully in polished brass.
Take your sofa, side chair or bed from “meh” to magical with mermaid scale throw pillows. The ones above are available via Houzz .
And finally, it’s super simple to punch up the walls of any room (sporting mermaid tiles or not) with a lovely art print, like this one from Jetty Home .
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