Blue and white ticking fabric, also known as mattress ticking or French mattress ticking, is one of my go-to fabrics. It has been around for a very long time, and was originally used for its pragmatic feature of being thick and durable so that whatever the mattress was stuffed with wouldn’t poke thru. These days, it’s used for both its practicality and its aesthetic appeal.
So aside from being a down-to-earth fabric with a long history of usability, I think ticking goes with almost everything. And, it’s affordable (the links above will take you to some sources). I like what it does to a room—in some cases it brings it down and in other cases it adds to the rustic charm—however it works, it usually does the trick for me.
I’ve gathered some pretty examples of ticking used in various ways. I hope you find something that inspires you today!

Custom wallpaper above and bold pairings with red.


On chairs and ottomans it’s fresh and classic.



Looking smart with black piping (above). And it always looks good in a summer home (below).

In bedrooms it looks great mixed with other unexpected patterns or taking center stage.




Happy Friday!
Holly