Style up your space with these beautiful scalloped design ideas

Trends may come and go, but timeless styles, such as scalloped edges, really do stand the test of time. Perhaps it’s because they’re inspired by nature – shells, specifically (the clue’s in the name with this one) – and biophilic design is always in style? Or maybe it’s because they have a feminine aesthetic that feels hopelessly romantic?

Whatever the reason, scalloped edges – whether in furniture, textiles, lighting or accessories – are always welcome in the home, not just because of their enduring look, but because of their sheer versatility. Indeed, designers love them because they complement a multitude of styles, from Art Deco to coastal and Mid-Century, while lending a whimsical detail to even the blandest of rooms. Because they take their shape from the sea, we particularly love scalloped edges paired with other natural materials, such as wicker, rattan and wood, to make a space feel wonderfully curated and irresistibly cosy – like a set straight out of a Nancy Meyers movie.

Chrissie Rucker OBE, founder and owner of The White Company, is a fan of scalloped designs and knows just how to use them (as you’d expect): “Scalloped edges add instant style to any space or situation and don’t take themselves too seriously with a whimsical aesthetic,” she says. Her tips and tricks? “Your bed is the focal point of your bedroom so dress it beautifully by adding something like our scalloped quilt and matching cushions (I like to pile them up!) to make it look oh-so inviting at the end of another long day.” She adds: “In terms of tableware, there’s something so pretty about scalloped pieces that makes every sharing table look extra special, while being pretty enough to use as décor elsewhere – on shelves and dressing tables, and in bathrooms and bedrooms. Meanwhile, our scalloped marble pieces – bowls and plates – are just as eye-catching for serveware or simply gorgeous objets d’art.”

Whether you're looking to make your home look more expensive on a budget or want to stay on top of the latest bedroom trends, get inspired by these 32 ways to use scalloped designs in your home.

32 ideas for making scalloped designs work in your spaces

Give traditional a twist

The smallest detail can sometimes have the biggest impact in a living space, such as the gently scalloped edge of this coffee table from Marks & Spencer, which adds interest and softness to the room. The subtle wave also gives the table – made from a traditional dark wood – a contemporary touch.

Scalloped Coffee Table | £199 at Marks & Spencer

Elegant, functional and beautifully versatile, this striking scalloped coffee table from M&S will add a vintage flair to any room.

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Go subtle with seating

Subtly does it in these upholstered ottomans by GeorgieRose Interior Design featuring a scalloped shape. Because they’re dainty in size and upholstered in a busy pattern from Andrew Martin, the scalloped edge plays second fiddle to everything else – in an entirely good way. Whether used as extra seating, footstools or even side tables, the pretty design adds instant character to even the most neutral of spaces, such as this breakfast room with a green-velvet dining banquette offset by stark white walls.

Frame a window

De Rosee Sa, the architectural and interior design studio, has used scalloped edges on the pelmet in this living space to frame the window and create a pretty focal point. Keeping the fabric simple in colour allows the scallops to do the talking, while a stylish jute rug with scalloped edges anchors the furniture and makes a complementary design statement.

Beautify your bedding

Get ready for guests by shaking up your bedding with a scalloped set – sure to be a talking point after a deep night’s sleep. SARAH.K, the eponymous brand of the textile designer specialising in block-printing, embroidery and weaving, offers a raft of styles for every taste and space, including this pillowcase in gorgeous green from the Pomily range. Sweet dreams, guaranteed.

Let there be light

Scalloped lampshades provide a stylish but subtle flourish to your lighting scheme, whether in the bedroom – such as this project by interior design studio Hutley and Humm – a living room or even the hallway. Here, the scalloped edge of the shade pops against the blue base of the ceramic lamp, showcasing the shape. Alternatively, you could pair a neutral shade and base, or indeed a bold base and shade, but we think contrast is key.

Upholster a headboard

Scalloped headboards are a firm favourite in boutique hotels – and for good reason – as they make a strong design statement in even the simplest of spaces. They work particularly well in maximalist schemes, such as this example from interiors design firm Studio Vero, which features bold colours and busy prints. The headboard is upholstered in terracotta velvet for extra luxury.

Lay the table

Scalloped tableware adds a touch of whimsy to any tablescape and this stylish napkin from textile designer SARAH.K – folded to highlight the details on the edge – shows how. Pretty and feminine, it adds depth to the place setting, while providing the perfect finishing touch. Guests might just leave with it…

Get the paintbrush out

Here, the homeowner has painted the door between the living room and hallway in an earthy terracotta shade – Can-Can from the ultra-matt Claypaint range by Earthborn Paints, to be precise – to make the colour pop against neutral walls. The finishing touch is the scalloped detail that extends the darker hue from the woodwork to the wall. It’s proof that paint has the power to unleash your creativity, so why not pick a favourite palette and experiment with scallops in your space?

Take it outside

Bringing the outdoors in has never been bigger in the world of interior design – whether in colours and patterns inspired by nature, or simply a potted plant or two – but what about taking those elements outside again? Taking its cues from the sea, the East London Parasol Company has crafted a raft of umbrellas featuring pretty scalloped edges, proof that the design works both in the home and garden .

Reflect your style

Scalloped mirrors enable you to tap into the shape in a subtle way, while opening up a space and reflecting the light. Design studio Hutley and Humm has used a black mirror with scalloped edges to do both in this living room and create a statement focal point above the fireplace.

Pull up a chair

Take your scallop inspiration from the designs of yesteryear with an accent chair featuring the distinctive shape on the chair skirt. In this dining room, designer Laura Stephens has finished a bespoke armchair upholstered in pink fabric with a scalloped edge, adding a charming detail to an otherwise simple design. Talk about fringe benefits.

Can you hack it?

We love an IKEA hack, and this ingenious idea by interior designer Octavia Dickinson shows how the simple addition of internal scalloped edges can completely transform something as basic as a BILLY bookcase. Think outside of the box, quite literally, and add your own to everything from coffee tables to consoles and cabinets – the world is your oyster.

Make a splash

Scalloped tiles can look incredibly stylish in a bathroom or toilet, as this splashback by Willis & Stone demonstrates, contrasting the pale grey of the tiles with the warm bronze of the taps. You could, of course, tile the whole space, but we think subtle is the way to create real impact with just a splashback in scalloped tiles, such as here, or the back wall of a shower.

Ace your accessories

Remember, you don’t always have to go big with a scalloped designs, as this red-and-teal letter holder by designer SARAH.K proves, adding a subtle nod to the motif on a crescent-shaped console table in a hallway. Style up with pretty postcards from your travels or personalised letter paper ready to pen ‘thank-you’ notes and the like to friends and family.

Play with scale

We love the use of scallops in this striking living room with a scalloped-edge console table in vibrant red by OKA contrasted against the lime-green walls and natural colours elsewhere. Despite being compact in size and slimline in shape, the scalloped details are undeniably the star of the show, proving that small really can be beautiful.

Plug your style

A sink can provide an opportunity to express your style and make a statement in a space otherwise devoid of character – a bathroom or toilet, for example – and the designs from the London Basin Company are cases in point. Combining a beautiful scallop shape with a distinctive crackle glaze, the Celestine basin is arguably our favourite, featuring a soft green-blue colour that works just as well with modern hardware as it does classic brassware.

Take your lighting up a level

Designer Laura Stephens has given the traditional chandelier – all glitz and glamour – a country-house makeover in this statement design. Arguably the crowning glory of the dining room, it comprises a mint-green frame with upward-facing bulbs topped with small rattan shades finished with pretty scalloped edges. A subtle way of incorporating scallops without dominating the entire scheme.

Hang with pride

Inspired by the rolling ocean waves, the iconic Rise & Fall pendant from Original BTC – the British lighting manufacturer – draws on scalloped edges to cast a flattering glow across the breakfast table below while being a real conversation-starter. It’s handcrafted from bone China and features a matching ceiling rose and braided cable. Why not make scalloped lighting the star of your space by offsetting a white design such as this against a feature wall in dark green or navy?

Let your imagination run wild

Choosing the right paint colour and pattern has the power to completely transform a room as this bedroom by Fenwick & Tilbrook – which offers pigment-rich paint in over 250 colours – showcases to spectacular effect. The upper wall has been painted in Highland Peat, a warm and earthy red, while the lower wall has been painted in Trooper, a hue inspired by camouflage, to provide complementary contrast (the key is selecting shades from the same tonal family). What really makes this wall wonderful, however, is the scalloped design running along the top of the green in Scolt Head, a dark olive that adds interest and depth. Go on – be bold.

Mix and match trends

You can never have too much of a good thing, as this Eichholtz armchair from Uber Interiors upholstered in bouclé – a tactile looped yarn – and featuring a scalloped backrest proves. Timeless yet on-trend, it shows that two distinctive but different features can work in perfect harmony with one another, and that a statement piece can really breathe life into even the blandest of corners.

Throw the book at it

Nothing says more about you than a perfectly curated library – we’re calling it ‘book shelf wealth’ – displaying carefully selected books reflecting your style and personality. Think classics organised by colour; coffee table tomes arranged to showcase your interests and tastes; and bestsellers stored conveniently to hand beside a comfy armchair. The homeowner of this space has gone one step further by painting their bookshelves in Seacliffe Heights – a deep green shade with a sunbaked glow from paint brand Benjamin Moore – and finishing with distinctive scalloped edges. A real page-turner.

Cook up a storm

If you’re bored of your kitchen but don’t have the budget to fork out for new cabinetry and worktops, then a simple but colourful scalloped splashback can give your space a whole new lease of life – plus, because you’re only focusing on a small area, it shouldn’t cost a fortune. Here, the homeowner has chosen Alloy in Emerald Scallop from Bushboard – the kitchen and bathroom surface specialist – to offer all the beauty of intricately-shaped tiles with none of the mess or grout (you wouldn’t know it at first glance, but it’s a single panel of aluminium composite). Beauty and brains.

Get in shape

You could, of course, tile your entire bathroom top-to-bottom with scalloped tiles – the Bondi White Wall Tile from Porcelain Superstore is a stellar choice – but why not enhance the shape of the scalloped edges by stopping three-quarters of the way up? Here, the remaining third of the wall is painted in a stylish mauve, better showing the pristine white tiles beneath. Simple but effective.

Carve out awe-inspiring alcoves

Remember, scalloped designs don’t necessarily have to be incorporated in furniture, accessories, textiles or lighting – sometimes they can form part of the space itself. Here, scalloped alcoves make a real design statement in a living room with distinctive arches above shelving for objets d’art and books. Painting the feature wall in a shade that differs to the colour used elsewhere – such as the coral-coloured couch from Sofology – also makes them pop.

Break the mould

A scalloped shape is a scalloped shape, right? Wrong. Sometimes, you can break with convention by playing with its form to create something altogether more interesting. The Kew headboard by Vispring, which has specialised in handmade beds since 1901, is a case in point: the scalloped edge of the design is asymmetrical to create an element of surprise and added interest.

Cut a corner

You don’t always have to plump for a scalloped shape to tap into the feminine and whimsical nature of its design. Sometimes, a scalloped motif can be just as effective to add a sense of playfulness to your interiors, such as the pretty pink vintage-style shell design on a cream spoon rest by Yvonne Ellen, the British tableware designer. Sure to add a charming touch to any country kitchen.

More is more

Sometimes, more really is more, such as in this living space by Next where the brand has layered a scalloped rug on bare wooden floorboards with a scalloped lampshade on a table lamp and a scalloped shade on the wall light. The space is purposefully busy and fussy – complemented by patterned upholstery and wallpaper, plus frills and bows aplenty – which makes this maximalist scheme sing.

Make your walls wonderful

Because of their pretty aesthetic, scalloped designs work particularly well in decorative items, such as the Porta Romana scallop shell wall light from Uber Interiors. The clever design doesn’t just hide a light bulb within its central fold, but adds a backdrop that allows the light to bounce into the room, making it as practical as it is beautiful. Sure to draw the eye in any space.

Dial up the glamour

Why not add a touch of old-school glamour to your living room with an antique floor lamp topped with a vintage-style fabric shade? Here, furniture retailer DFS has teamed a timeless style of sofa in blush pink with a bronze bamboo-inspired light featuring an oversized scalloped-edge shade that’s like something straight out of a speakeasy. Elsewhere, vintage patterns, colours and textures reinforce the look.

Serve up afternoon tea

We love this scallop-style hand-drawn print on the collection of plates, cups, saucers and pourers from Jo Deakin, the quintessentially British brand offering contemporary fine bone China. The best thing about having your scalloped designs on serveware like this is that it can be brought in and out as you see fit, rather than being a permanent fixture in your home. The perfect excuse for reinstating traditional afternoon tea, don’t you think?

Invest in versatile designs

Invest in scalloped accessories that double as both serveware and decoration, such as the Larton scalloped marble bowl from The White Company. Smooth, hand-carved and versatile, this piece works as both a bowl for nibbles with drinks or simply as a striking object d’art displayed on a coffee table. Think beyond a sole purpose and make your scalloped pieces work hard in your home.

Cover your bases

Scalloped rugs will always be in style with the organic shape working particularly well in natural materials such as jute. This design from Rugs Direct, Savannah, combines and enhances the scalloped edges with a strong black frame. Why not place something like this on a pale floor to spotlight the shape even more?