Classic Design- Tortoise

These Jansen chairs (sold by Benjamin Stork Ltd.) are fabulous and so inspiring! Of course, the Regency style of the chairs is very Jansen. But what really makes these chairs so striking is the tortoise print oilcloth.

Tortoise print is such a classic and sophisticated way to add zip to a room. Tortoise furniture and accessories were long considered to be a luxury, and we can now recreate that luxury with faux tortoise painted furniture. Markham Roberts designed the faux tortoise mirror below using warm, rich tones. Jeffrey Bilhuber, on the otherhand, used more neutral tones for his tortoise bookshelf.











To add some major wow to your room, why not give the tortoise treatment to your room's architecture? One designer created this knockout faux tortoise door using dramatic red and brown tones as well as a lacquered finish.

For a more stylized and whimsical approach to tortoise, Tyler Hall has designed a witty tortoise print called "Sardinia Tortoise Shell" which comes in five colorways, including a cool platinum.