Text by Claire Pool
From pastels and pinks to florals and chinoiserie, Caitlin Wilson’s grandmillenial and traditional styles embrace all things feminine to create a home that feels like her own. As an acclaimed interior and product designer, Caitlin launched her textile collection in 2011, focusing only on pillows and fabrics. Now, her brand has grown into rugs, wallpaper, furniture, and more. In her debut book, Return to Pretty: Giving New Life to Traditional Style, Caitlin teaches readers how to imbue their homes with beauty.
Her iconic products can be seen featured throughout the book’s 256 pages, from real-life applications in clients’ homes to stacks and shelves within her Dallas, Texas, flagship store. Caitlin’s love of her grandmother’s and mother’s well-decorated homes is what influences her designs today. “Pretty is more than a look—it’s a feeling of familiarity, belonging, and unconditional love,” she says.
In each of the book’s nine sections, Caitlin explains how to construct charming spaces, sharing her decorating experience over the years. From “Pretty Pillows,” where she discusses the way a pillow launched her career, to “Pretty Details,” where she illustrates the importance of how small accents can change an entire room, Caitlin’s guide to creating your own sanctuary revolves around what is personal to you. To support her interior design choices, she even uses several historical examples, like Marie Antoinette’s bedroom with its plethora of patterns or Rainbow Row in Charleston, South Carolina, with its picture-perfect pastels.
Including stories of how she fell in love with textiles, Caitlin provides tips on how to apply some of her favorite design techniques, such as mixing patterns, hunting for antiques, and finding your ideal palette. She encourages readers to add colors, textures, textiles, and décor to bring life into a bland space, making it warmer and more inviting. Caitlin’s favorite palette—navy blues, lavenders, and pinks—is often seen combined throughout the book. Whether you’re looking to freshen up your bedroom or craving playful ideas for patterns and colors, Return to Pretty provides beautiful inspiration for everyday living.
