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Macramé musings

Macram a bohemian craft has made a comeback after several years
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Bindu Gopal Rao

Macramé, a bohemian craft, has made a comeback after several years. The knotted-cord craft that had reached the pinnacle of its fame in the 1970s is the neo favourite among textile designers and interior designers. The cord used in making macramé design includes cotton, wool, linen, jute and even leather and offers an organic yet complex aesthetic feel to home decor.

Do it right

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Macramé offers several design possibilities. To get a best fit, it is wise to first identify what, how and where you want to include it in your existing home decor. Whether you want to include it to highlight some space or complement the decor, your choice of macramé feature will depend on that. A macramé decor feature can add the charm of a handcrafted elegance, adding warmth in earthy tone to uninteresting spaces. It possesses a boho-casual appeal and works well when paired with similar decor tone in the surrounding. It goes well with wooden furniture and soft furnishings in the similar tone. “With macramé curtains, one can opt for dense weave for privacy or loose fringe for a dainty look. Macramé curtains also act as the noiseless replacements to the bead curtains that are often used as dividers... As macramé features are generally in neutral colours, you can introduce specks of contrast by pairing it with vibrant accents. For instance, you could pair a macramé chair with colourful cushion or off-white coloured macramé curtains could be the backdrop to a coral or blue coloured seating,” says Radeesh Shetty, Lighting Designer and Director, The Purple Turtles.

Myriad hues

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Macramé is trending in the design and décor sector due to its versatility and you can add a little bit of your own personality in designs, which can be custom made. “The macramé wall hangings bring this same versatility, giving this trend a reason to stay. These works of art can be monotone in colour or contain an array of fibres in every shade of the rainbow. They are grand, beautiful, stretching wide or hanging long and also provide an instant shot of texture to any room,” says Malini Chawla Saigal, Mompreneur & COO Ravissant. 

The macramé home ornamentation trend is back in a huge way. Adorning households nationwide, macramé is coming back in a stylish, up to date mode, adding sleek accents to several areas. Macramé wall hangings, plant hangers, curtains, cushion covers and chairs or swinging seats hung from the ceiling are some of the top trending forms for interior decor.

Easy to maintain

As macramé features are made of cord or fabric, they are easier to maintain and wash. Also, as they are mostly lighter in colour, it's better to wash them separately and not with dyed fabric. Alternately, a soft brush can be used on a daily basis to keep the dust from settling on these pieces. The material you choose to make the macramé cord is very important. Leather will stretch after a while, and could lose its shape. Hemp and jute are very popular, so is cotton twine. Ekta Khialani, founder, Casa Novo, says, “Macramé objects will require the same level of upkeep and gentle usage. This means in the case of larger objects, gentle vacuuming will work. Avoid staining these objects as they are made out of rope-like material. One should periodically invest in dry cleaning smaller objects like cushions to maintain them. Also, like any other fabric objects, know when it is time to switch and say goodbye to your macramé beauties and invest in newer ones.” So are you ready to give your home a macramé makeover?

Grand and intricate

Macramé is intricate, grand and can be modified to fit in any look. It can be done in monotones or using contrasting threads. Amita Kanwar, creative director, Window Passions, avers, “Today the focus of interior trend is increasingly moving towards fusion where we fuse traditional with contemporary and thus macramé fits in perfectly. Today macramé is just not restricted to a bohemian décor. It can be tweaked with the kind of yarns, which could be used in multiple kinds of decor styles. Macramé is a new décor trend because it adds a sense of dimension, and an effortless way to integrate some texture to a setting.” Right from the living room, bedrooms to garden décor, this knotty textile form has found many uses in the choicest of interiors. Baashobe Majumdar, vice-president, design, Home Lane, adds, “Macramé is most commonly found in wall hangings. They also look beautiful in the form of plant holders. Just about any kind of plant can be hung from a macramé plant holder. They are especially useful if you are short on space; you can suspend plants at various heights from your window grills or hooks on the wall. Those skilled in the art of macramé can make exquisite bedspreads, throws, wall screens and lacy curtains. Rich in pattern and texture, it can add a lovely dimension to any bedroom. You could also choose pieces that are embellished with beads of different sizes and shapes.”

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