Mad Men inspired patterns

Having a designer for a partner can be a real pain. Especially when it comes time to decorate a new home. Nothing off-the-rack will do. On top of which, everything must undergo rigorous UX testing and UI approval prior to any purchase: no rough edges, no awkward angles, no unbalanced forms. There really should be an endurance medal for those who put up with us. (Or at the very least, a satin sash with well-kerned typography. Who’s with me?)

So when it came time to choose curtains and cushions, I decided I wanted to design an original pattern, in vector format (so I could re-size it up or down as necessary).  This would then be sent to SpoonFlower to be made into fabric, which we would then sew into curtains, etc. The pattern needed to coordinate with the dark chocolate rugs and the dark teal accents already established in the living room. The architecture is very modern (more’s the pity) so 17th century velvet damask was out. Being fans of the Mad Men series, we agreed it should have an abstract 1950’s retro feel. Here’s what I came up with.

Mad Men motifs: 1950s motifs that form the core of the pattern.

1960s Ring pattern

1950s style pattern variations.