TL;DR
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A Livingetc report describes designers using tassels and other passementerie in minimalist and contemporary interiors, often as a single accent rather than an all-over embellishment. Examples include a tassel light pull, curtain and shower-curtain tiebacks, pendant lights and furniture details; the report presents these as design examples, not evidence of a measured industry-wide trend.
Interior designers are bringing tassels and other forms of passementerie into modern rooms, according to a Livingetc report, using them as restrained accents or stand-alone decorative features. The examples span light pulls, curtain tiebacks, pendant lights and furniture, illustrating how a traditional textile craft is being applied in contemporary settings.
The approach described is selective rather than maximalist. London-based passementerie weaver Jessica Light recommends placing one overtly decorative element in an otherwise sparse room, or choosing a simpler trim whose color, texture or finish contrasts with the surrounding scheme. Light says she is receiving bespoke commissions for single statement tassels, which can hang as sculptural focal points. She works with linen, wool, horsehair and paper, and says she uses deadstock materials from her atelier where possible.
The report gives several examples of smaller applications. East London Cloth selected monochrome silk tassels for tiebacks, light pulls and keys; a black tassel tieback appears on a shower curtain in a bathroom by British studio Penrose Tilbury. Other cited designs include the Betty pendant lamps by French designers Hauvette & Madani, launched in 2021, and a tasseled furniture detail in the studio’s 2026 La 23ème Heur collection.
Marisa Gutmacher, senior vice president of design at New York passementerie atelier Samuel & Sons, suggests using color and texture to make trims feel current. A trim can pick up a small, less prominent color in patterned fabric, she says, while a tonal pairing with plain fabric can gain interest from differences in texture or luster. These are designers’ recommendations and examples, rather than evidence that tassels are being adopted broadly across the interior-design market.
How Designers Rework Traditional Trim
The examples matter because they show one way designers are adapting a heritage craft without relying on heavily decorated rooms. A single tassel or tieback can add texture, color or contrast to a clean-lined interior, while larger pieces can act as a focal point. For readers considering the look, the report’s central idea is proportion: use trim deliberately, and let the rest of the room give it space.
That approach also puts the craft’s making in view. Light describes handmade passementerie as a specialist practice and says modern designers can find new ways to use its techniques. Her comments point to a tension between a craft’s long history and changing tastes, though the report does not quantify the size of the trade or how demand has changed.
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Passementerie From Craft to Accent
Passementerie refers to decorative textile trims and embellishments, including tassels, cords and tiebacks. Light says the craft can be traced to ancient Egypt and that its popularity has risen and fallen with contemporary taste. She argues that modernism nearly ended its appeal, but that its range of techniques allows designers and makers to adapt it.
The Livingetc report links the current design examples to both independent makers and established studios. Light has worked by hand for more than 30 years, while Samuel & Sons offers a large selection of trims and custom work, according to the report. The examples span projects and collections from different years, so they show recurring design uses rather than one newly announced product or launch.
““They’re almost like an exclamation mark: a piece of passementerie punctuation in your space.””
— Jessica Light, passementerie weaver
How Broad Is the Design Shift?
The report offers individual designer views and project examples, but does not provide sales figures, survey data or other measurements showing how widespread the interest in tassels is. It is not clear whether demand is increasing across the wider interiors market or concentrated among particular designers and clients. The publication date of the report is also not supplied in the source material, although it refers to a 2026 collection and to the Betty Lamp’s 2021 launch.
There is no indication that every example is a new release. The report combines existing products, a bathroom project and a more recent furniture collection to illustrate different uses of passementerie. It also does not provide prices, availability or detailed specifications for the cited pieces.
Designers’ Next Uses for Tassels
The source identifies no upcoming launch, industry event or forecast with a specific date. The development to watch is how designers continue to use traditional trims in contemporary work: as small functional details, such as tiebacks and light pulls, or as more prominent decorative elements on lighting and furniture. Any claim that the look is spreading more widely would require further evidence, such as new collections, sales data or additional reporting from designers and suppliers.
Key Questions
What is passementerie?
Passementerie is decorative textile trimming and embellishment. The term covers items such as tassels, cords and tiebacks used on furnishings, curtains and other interior features.
How are designers using tassels in modern rooms?
The examples in the report include light pulls, curtain and shower-curtain tiebacks, pendant lights and furniture details. Some are small accents; others are designed to serve as focal points.
How can a tassel fit into a minimalist interior?
Jessica Light recommends using a single decorative piece in a sparse room, or choosing a pared-back design with a deliberate contrast in color or texture. This is her design advice, not a rule that applies to every space.
Are tassels now a widespread interior-design trend?
The report documents examples and designer interest, but provides no market data showing how widely the look is being adopted. Its evidence supports a design direction, not a measured industry-wide trend.
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