Pattern Design: Creating a Whimsical Floral Toile de Jouy with a Modern Twist

Fun and whimsical prints are a great way to inject energy into a space.

Whether used in a powder room, a nursery, or a cozy reading nook, patterns with a cheerful energy and colourful palette can offer a lot of personality and charm.

That’s exactly what I set out to create in a recent wallpaper project—something playful and painterly, yet rooted in the tradition of classic toile de Jouy designs.

Inspiration Behind the Pattern:

Creating a Whimsical Floral Toile de Jouy with a Modern Twist

My goal was to design a surface pattern that leaned into loose and imperfect line work.

I wanted it to feel hand-drawn and relaxed, with a slight nod to historic toile prints—but updated with a contemporary take.

To do this, I started with a central idea: Creating a Whimsical Floral Toile de Jouy with a Modern Twist. Instead of the traditional pastoral scenes with detailed and refined line work found in vintage toile, I decided to leverage thick and loose lines with a light-hearted botanical theme featuring a fan favourite - dogs!

Choosing a Theme: Dogs Meet Classic Toile

Dogs are a perennial favourite in design, and I’ve always loved drawing them—especially my own. So this felt like the perfect opportunity to bring in that playful element.

Considering the overall structure of the pattern was an important step in this design process. Should the pattern be spacious and airy or busy and dense? For this print, I chose the latter.

A more maximalist layout, paired with a relaxed hand, would give me room to play with a variety of scenes, all anchored by floral elements that would create cohesion across the design.

A Shift in Format: From Square to Vertical

For this wallpaper pattern, I made a deliberate shift in layout.

Instead of working within a square canvas as I usually do, I opted for a vertical rectangle format.

This approach allowed for a structured flow from top to bottom and enabled me to include more scenic illustrations within the floral and botanical motifs that are featured in the design.

Sketching the Floral Foundation

I began by sketching florals—large, blooming roses, tiny ditsy flowers, and layers of foliage to fill the space.

These elements weren’t just decorative. They played an important role in breaking up the scenes, acting as natural dividers while maintaining an overall sense of rhythm and unity.

To create a repeating pattern, I duplicated and rotated some of the florals, making sure their placement supported the flow of the full design.

This gave the layout a balanced, wallpaper-friendly structure while keeping the visuals interesting throughout the repeat.

Building the Scenic Dog Illustrations

With the floral framework in place, I started sketching the narrative scenes featuring different breeds of dogs.

Using reference photos from a visit to a botanical garden, I created several vignettes:

• A puppy under a floral archway

• A dog in front of an iron rod gate

• A pup sitting on a bench outside a garden gift shop

Later, I added two more illustrated scenes to complete the composition:

• A building façade with dogs peeking out the windows

• A dog gazing up at a decorative water fountain

Each of these little moments brings a bit of storytelling to the design, helping it feel alive and imaginative while maintaining a cohesive visual theme.

Ensuring Cohesion: Consistent Line Work

Maintaining consistency in the line work was key in this design. Since the pattern relies heavily on loose, painterly strokes, it was important that the line weight and drawing style remained uniform throughout all the illustrated elements.

This involved a few rounds of refinement—tweaking line thickness, cleaning up sketchy edges, and making sure the energy of the strokes felt equally expressive and free across the entire print.

Adding Color: Embracing Painterly Imperfection

One of the most enjoyable parts of this process was adding colour.

Since the pattern was inspired by traditional toile de Jouy but with a whimsical, modern slant, I gave myself permission to be loose and playful with the color application.

Working in Procreate, I blocked in soft hues with visible brushstrokes, allowing a bit of imperfection to show through. This painterly quality gave the design an extra layer of charm and emphasized the hand-drawn aesthetic I was aiming for.

Finalizing the Design

Once the color work was complete, the final stage was all about cleanup—adjusting placements, sharpening outlines, and refining the palette so that everything felt intentional and ready for print.

This step is especially important when prepping a wallpaper pattern for production, ensuring a high quality resolution for the repeating pattern and avoiding fuzziness in the pixelation of the motifs.

Colours need to be harmonious, the repeat must be seamless, and every detail should be intentional.

Final Thoughts

This design was a joy to create from start to finish. It combines the storytelling of traditional toile with playful, modern motifs and expressive line work—offering a fresh take on a classic style.

Whether used for wallpaper or fabric, this whimsical floral toile de Jouy with a modern twist brings a sense of charm and personality to any space. The balance of florals and scenic storytelling makes it both eye-catching and versatile—a fun way to blend tradition with creativity.