Interior Trend: PINEAPPLES

Since last year, the pineapple icon has increased its impact in design from print to fashion (Michael Bastian, Isaac Mizrahi, H&M) to interiors. The masses are wanting more tropical reminders (colors and images) in their lives but this current appeal goes way back.

The first encounter between a European and a pineapple occurred in November, 1493, when Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage to the Caribbean region came upon piles of freshly gathered vegetables and fruits, including pineapples. The Renaissance Europe to which Columbus returned with his discoveries was a civilization largely void of common sweets. Sugar refined from cane was a rare commodity imported at great cost from the middle east and orient. Fresh fruit was also a rare item. The pineapple remained so uncommon and a coveted treasure that King Charles II of England posed for an official portrait in an act then symbolic of royal privilege -- receiving a pineapple as a gift. Across the ocean, the pineapple took on other symbolic meanings in England's American colonies. The colonies were then a land of small, primitive towns and settlements where homes served as the hubs of most community activity. Visiting was the primary means of entertainment, cultural exchanges and news dissemination. The concept of hospitality--the warmth, charm and style with which guests were taken into the home--was a central element of the society's daily emotional life.

In Colonial America, creative food display--the main entertainment during a formal home visit--was a means by which a woman declared both her personality and her family's status. A hostesses's ability to have a pineapple for an important dining event said as much about her rank as it did about her resourcefulness. So sought after were the prickly fruits that colonial confectioners sometimes rented them to households by the day. Later, the same fruit was sold to other, more affluent clients who actually ate it. As you might imagine, hostesses would have gone to great lengths to conceal the fact that the pineapple that was the visual apogee of their table display and a central topic of their guests' conversation was only rented.

It is hardly surprising that this communal symbol of friendship and hospitality also became a favorite motif of architects, artisans and craftsmen throughout the colonies. They announced the hospitality of a mansion with carved wood or molded mortar pineapples on its main gate posts .

"Stroll into an old garden in Savannah, Charleston, Salem, Richmond, or even Dunmore, Scotland, and there is a good chance you will be greeted by a fruit. The shape may be chiseled in stone, pressed in concrete, or cast in iron, but invariably, you will find yourself looking at the same tropical, iconic species." - Stuart DiNenno

"They incorporated huge copper and brass pineapples in the weather vanes of their most important public buildings. They sculpted pineapples into door lintels; stenciled pineapples on walls and canvas mats; wove pineapples into tablecloths, napkins, carpets and draperies; and cast pineapples into metal hot plates. There were whole pineapples carved of wood; pineapples executed in the finest china kilns; pineapples painted onto the backs of chairs and tops of chests." - Hoag Levins

"Wallpaper is still coming back strong providing even more options and expansions in the wallpaper market. Look for more bold patterns (and those aforementioned saturated colours) on walls (and ceilings and doors!). Look for inventive and bold uses of a classic botanical wallpapers applied to walls, doors, and casings!" - Scot Meacham Wood

"Today this classic symbol remains popular in many households across the nation. From lamps to wallpaper to furniture, the pineapple remains a popular, celebrated classic that adapts and blends in naturally with every decor and lifestyle. " - Jessica Gordan Ryan

"Pineapples in the entryway catch guests immediately when they cross your threshold, so try a few on a stylish console or go all out with a pineapple wallpaper. No matter how you send it, a warm greeting will always feel fresh!" - Anne Sage

"Where I’m from (I grew up in South Carolina), a pineapple was the welcoming fruit. It meant hello, we love ya, have some iced tea on our front porch, tell us about your day. We had a brass pineapple door knocker (always). We had a brass pineapple on own living room bookcase because that was the 80s, brass was were it was at. I’ve never not lived in a home without a pineapple somewhere – until now. I gave away my gorgeous white ceramic pineapple to a friend before I relocated to Germany and I’ve missed having it around. Seeing one always made me think happy thoughts associated with home and love. My fruity talisman. And now I have a billion of them! The moment I step into my home I’m greeted with an explosive reminder of warmth, welcome and love. Everywhere. It’s bonkers and I love it." - Aimee Wilder

"The trends in decorating have taken a turn for a more tropical theme. What’s even more appealing about this trend is that it’s in style to add something 'pineapple' to a space where it would seem random and out of place. The great news is you don’t have to do much except add a pineapple touch to achieve this trending decor style, and there are so many ways to do it! Probably the easiest way to add this tropical touch is with pillows. These pineapple pillows have a variety of prints to go with your current decor style or to stand out, if that’s what you’re seeking! And once you feel it’s time to move on, they can easily be swapped out." - Jason Potts