While many might associate denim with the American West (likely due to Levi Strauss’s role in bringing blue jeans to the masses in the late 1800s from San Francisco), it’s worth noting that the roots of denim, and indigo, are far more global. “Indigo’s cultural reach is as expansive as its history,” says Clark, citing the dye’s use in the ancient Mediterranean, India, Japan, Mesoamerica, and West Africa long before the cotton twill, ‘serge de Nîmes’ was created in 17th-century France and the utilitarian fabric ‘bleu de Gênes’ was created in Genoa around the same time, setting the foundation for what would become modern-day blue jeans.
It is this storied past that makes indigo, and denim, such a dynamic addition to a space. “Referencing Japanese traditions, it always feels elevated rather than cold, with a depth and subtlety that’s difficult to achieve with other colour palettes,” says Judith Harris, head of home at British clothing and homewares brand, Toast, which has long used indigo and denim in their collections. “What unites these histories is indigo itself: a material that transcends geography and time, continuously reinterpreted across art and clothing, from the ceremonial to the everyday.”
Ralph Lauren Home’s spring 2026 Meadow Lane Collection.
Photo: Courtesy of Ralph Lauren Home
Today, indigo has found its way back into the home through the creative use of denim and dyed fabrics, leaving its mark on the airy halls of beach homes and modern Manhattan high rises alike. “A crisp, tailored denim can feel almost architectural on a sofa, while a softer, washed indigo reads more relaxed and textural,” says Ansley Majit, founding principal at Lark + Palm, who recently upholstered a kitchen banquette in a heavy-duty indigo canvas and installed an oversized indigo sofa in two residential projects. “Coming from fashion, denim has always felt like a constant. It can be completely casual or incredibly polished depending on how it’s cut, styled, and paired.”
A Manhattan apartment designed by Lark + Palm featuring denim upholstery.
Photo: John Merkl
