How To Incorporate Animal Print Décor in Your Home
When you think of animal print décor, you might picture bold leopard carpets or zebra-print overload. But when styled thoughtfully, animal-inspired patterns can feel sophisticated, elegant and right at home in modern interiors.
Think less jungle-themed chaos, more timeless neutrals with a wild side. Whether you're introducing a subtle spotted cushion or a statement striped sofa, animal print décor is the perfect mate for any room.
The key is knowing how to style them in a way that feels chic rather than over-the-top.
Here are our top five tips for designing with animal print décor, no matter if you’re a minimalist or ultra-maximalist.
1. Select and understand the prints you want to work with
Before you start decorating with animal print, it helps to know your spots from your stripes. Each pattern creates a different mood and works best with certain colours and styles.
Leopard print is the most versatile, pairing beautifully with earthy neutrals, wood-stained furniture and rich jewel tones like an emerald green sofa. Cheetah print has a softer, lighter look that complements warm creams, sandy beiges and terracotta shades for a safari feel.
Jaguar print is bolder and more dramatic, working well with darker colour palettes and luxurious textures like velvet. Think of a romantic red armchair with a complementary jaguar cushion.
For a more graphic look, zebra print adds instant contrast with its monochrome palette, while cow print décor feels playful and contemporary, fitting perfectly into rustic, western-inspired and modern farmhouse interiors.
"The easiest way to decorate with animal print is to think of it as a neutral with personality. Leopard, zebra and cow prints already exist in nature's colour palette, which means they pair effortlessly with many of the colours and textures we already use in our homes. The beauty is that you can choose one print you love to start with and continue to develop the space for years to come!”– Kellie Wyles, Head of Buying and Brands at DFS
2. Start by adding just a hint of print
To tame your animal print home décor, start small. A few carefully chosen pieces are a way to bring your vision to life without disrupting your colour scheme.
Scatter cushions are an easy way to incorporate print, adding a pop of zebra without zoo-ifying the entire space. Whether you’re going for a beautiful barn look or a rustic outback feel, we have a range of animal print cushions so there’s something for everyone.
Wanting to elevate the monochrome look? Zebra or cow print cushions could be for you. Livening up your Scandi sanctuary? The Lawrie scatter cushion is perfect: a smooth cream with a raised velvet leopard design. Truly adding just that small hint of print.
And if you want to start even smaller, dining-wear is the direction to go. Think cheetah print mugs, a subtle cow print on a placemat, or a zebra print fruit bowl. It’s okay to just dip your toe in the watering hole for now.
3. Find a balance of solid colour and print
The secret to styling animal print décor beautifully is balance. Pairing bold leopard print with a solid colour sofa can blend the two together, and equally it can be flipped! A cow print armchair with a plain plush cushion can be stylish mates for life.
Warm beiges, earthy taupe and creamy tones provide the perfect backdrop for pared back animal-inspired designs, allowing the print to stand out without taking over the room. But colour also works great with animal print décor. A rich bottle green fabric sofa dressed with brown leopard cushions, in front of a larger pink cushion, is equally as chic.
You should also think about textures too. Layer with tactility, pair a boucle armchair with a chenille cushion or our Zanetta footstool perfectly blends a smooth woven base with a 3D velvet leopard print to add that subtle elevation.
“Finding the balance in styling patterns alone is a challenge, and adding the animalistic tone might make it feel even harder to tame, but it doesn’t have to be. There are so many tips and tricks but one remains triumphant: pair your print with a colour that’s going to make it pop. Leopard and red are ‘mates for life’ as are cow print and pink in more recent years. Pick your favourite print, favourite colour and be bold!” – Kellie Wyles, Head of Buying and Brands at DFS
4. Make a statement with one stand out print
If you've mastered the art of subtle styling, it might be time to crown a king of the jungle.
Rather than scattering different patterns throughout your space, choose a favourite and build around it. Repeating the same print across a few carefully chosen pieces creates a full-impact look that still feels styled rather than overdone.
Think an accent chair paired with a matching cushion, or a statement footstool complemented by a few coordinating accessories. And lucky for you DFS has just the thing. The Wylde range unlocks leopard print décor of dreams: armchairs, sofas and yes, a heart-shaped leopard print footstool all in the same print.
This technique works particularly well for animal print bedroom ideas too, where repeating one print makes the room super cosy. Dress your fresh bedding in your favourite print, get some scatter cushions to match and maybe treat yourself to a new chair to sit at the desk with too. Print drenching has never looked so fierce.
“We're seeing more homeowners move away from using animal print as a small accent and instead embrace it as a statement feature. Repeating a favourite print across key pieces, whether that's a sofa, footstool or armchair, creates a cohesive look that feels luxurious, expressive and completely on trend.” – Kellie Wyles, Head of Buying and Brands at DFS
5. Go ultra-maximalist with a miss-match of prints
For those who believe there’s no such thing as too much, wild-maximalism is where animal print décor really comes into its own.
This look is all about embracing contrast. Pair oversized patterns like cow-print décor with smaller-scale patterns like a cheetah print, mix different textures together too! And never be afraid to let multiple animal prints share the same space. The result should feel eclectic, fully embracing your wild side.
In the living room, make your sofa the star of the show. A cow print sofa instantly sets the tone for a fearless scheme, especially when dressed in a mix of leopard print décor cushions in velvet, fabric and faux-fur finishes. Fancy a more vibrant colour combo? The green leopard print Zanetta sofa is the perfect pop of colour and print all in one!
Underfoot, layer a patterned rug over a larger neutral rug to ground the scheme, then add a textured footstool. Why not top things off with a statement accent chair in a contrasting print? The more unexpected the combination, the better.
To stop the room from becoming visually overwhelming, weave in moments of calm. A neutral wall colour, wooden side tables or a glass coffee table can act as breathing space amongst the pattern play.
Want more inspiration on incorporating print into your home? Take a look at our Bougie Blooms blog or dive into our complete guide to maximalist décor! For now, find your mate for life with an animal print you love and cosy into the sofa.
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