Leopard, Jaguar, or Cheetah?: The Enduring Classical Appeal of Big Cat Prints

There are few things more polarizing in the world of interior design than animal prints. There are those who love them because they love the animals themselves while others hate them for unfortunate associations with gaudy, Las Vegas-style decor and tacky clothing. If I've learned one thing in my years in interior design, it's that people can have strong mental and emotional associations with the most unexpected things.

But for me--someone who has studied interiors for the better part of his life and has been exposed to millions of images, ideas, and designs--I feel differently. While I do love the big cats featured here in this post, I have always had Classical associations with the use of these patterns. Just like the old adage "Every room should have something red in it," these rooms live by the adage "Every Neo-Classical room should have something leopard in it." Just look at the spectacular surroundings of each of these spots of leopard (pun intended). Used in this way, leopard brings an air of sophistication, a kind of Continental savoir faire that speaks to the idea of the layering of history in a room.

A leopard carpet in the library of Pierre Sauvage's Paris apartment

Leopard pillows in the Paris apartment of Marco Scarani and Jamie Creel

Leopard stair runner in a home by Miles Redd

Leopard carpet and upholstered stool in the entry of Alina Cho's midtown Manhattan apartment

Leopard stools in a sitting room by Alessandra Branca

In order to clarify, when you are looking at these patterns, you might see one that looks familiar but with some slight variations. If you see leopard spots but with a few more little speckles and spots in the center of the rosette, you are looking at the fur of the magnificent jaguar.

Arne Jacobsen Egg chair upholstered in jaguar in Emma Jane Pilkington's apartment

Now, here's the thing: there is yet another big cat with fur that is similar in pattern to a leopard and that is the endangered cheetah. Where the leopard and jaguar have black or dark rosettes with a brown center and sometimes additional smaller spots in the center, the cheetah simply has spots.

The bedroom in designer Stephen Shubel's San Francisco loft features a cheetah carpet

Cheetah chairs in a wonderfully eclectic sitting room Olivier Gagnere

Of course I do not condone the use of real fur for any purposes. These big cat prints look wonderful in crushed velvet, woven into wool carpets, or even printed on linen. There is no need to slaughter one of these animals to enjoy the beauty of their natural markings.

Happy designing!