Home Trend Spotlight: Suzani Quilt Design

An antique suzani from Spring Finn & Co.

by Jahna Peloquin (image courtesy Spring Finn & Co.)

The traditional Persian quilt design known as suzani is having a moment. Recent home interiors books, such as Haute Bohemians by photographer Miguel Flores-Vianna, showcase the look in some of the most stylish homes in the world. In that book, the Hudson Valley home of former Elle Décor editor-in-chief Marian McEvoy features throw pillows decorated with antique embroideries cut out of old suzani quilts, and her dining room contains unique curtains with fragments of antique suzani textiles artfully applied to muslin panels for a modern bohemian effect.

The defining characteristic of suzanis is their intricately embroidered patterns of vines, leaves, flowers, and fruits, such as pomegranates. Their designs are reminiscent of ancient Greek and Ottoman Empire designs, Hellenic stone carvings, and Afghani shapes in the time following Alexander the Great’s conquests, and are applied to solid neutral cotton or silk backgrounds using natural dyes made from indigo, pomegranates, walnuts, and other natural sources.

In Minneapolis, suzanis have a presence at the north-of-North-Loop showroom and studio of Spring Finn & Co. Designer and collector Talin Spring has a collection of half a dozen antique suzani quilts she sourced during a trip to Uzbekistan she says were made in the mid-20th century. They’re very rare due to their high quality of hand embroidery—“an almost impossible find,” explains Spring, a native of Istanbul who grew up in Marseille, France, and travels around the world on a regular basis. She says suzanis can be used as a decorative wall hanging or, if smaller fragments are found, as upholstery.


Dating back to the 18th century, suzanis were typically created by women as part of their dowry. They were hand-stitched and hand-embroidered using a small tool similar to a crochet hook—suzan means “needle” in Persian—and were applied to the backs of chairs, stool cushions, and pillows. Dyed fabric was taken to a kalamkash, an older woman who acted as the local designer in each village, and suzani parts were divided among multiple groups of family members to embroider their sections simultaneously.

Spring’s suzani collection ranges in price from $450 to $1,300 a piece and are available to view by appointment only at her studio at 875 North 5th Street in Minneapolis. (Call 612-245-7861 or visit springfinnandco.com for an appointment.) You can also find suzani-inspired fabrics at online sources such as onlinefabricstore.net and housefabric.com, retailers ranging from Pottery Barn and Pier 1 sell ready-made, suzani-inspired curtain panels, kitchen items, rugs, and quilts.

Here’s a selection of Spring’s suzani quilts followed by suzani-inspired home goods:

Get the look for less with these ready-made pieces from major retailers:

Suzani Duvet Cover Set by Threshold, $69.99–$79.99 at target.com 

Red Sitka Suzani Duvet Cover Set by Azaela Skye, $50–$85 @ target.com 

Suzani Embroidered Throw Pillow in Gray by Threshold, $24.99 at target.com 

Suzani Accent Runner by Threshold, $59.99 @ target.com 

Suzani Geometric Melamine 4-pc. Assorted Salad Plate Set, $12.99 @ Target.com 

Better Homes and Gardens Suzani Indoor Area Rug, $21.86 at hayneedle.com

Mohawk Home Forest Suzani 5’x8′ Area Rug, $77.54 at homedepot.com 

Suzani Navy 84″ Grommet Curtain, $39.95 at pier1.com

Frankie Gold Suzani Armchair at pier1.com 

WallPops! Grey and Yellow Suzani Peel and Stick Wallpaper, $48.95 at Bellacor.com 

Personal Designer

An antique suzani from Spring Finn & Co.

by Jahna Peloquin (image courtesy Spring Finn & Co.)

The traditional Persian quilt design known as suzani is having a moment. Recent home interiors books, such as Haute Bohemians by photographer Miguel Flores-Vianna, showcase the look in some of the most stylish homes in the world. In that book, the Hudson Valley home of former Elle Décor editor-in-chief Marian McEvoy showcases throw pillows decorated with antique embroideries cut out of old suzani quilts, and her dining room contains unique curtains featuring fragments of antique suzani textiles artfully applied to muslin panels for a modern bohemian effect.

The defining characteristic of suzanis is their intricately embroidered patterns of vines, leaves, flowers, and fruits, such as pomegranates. Their designs are reminiscent of ancient Greek and Ottoman Empire designs, Hellenic stone carvings, and Afghani shapes in the time following Alexander the Great’s conquests, and are applied to solid neutral cotton or silk backgrounds using natural dyes made from indigo, pomegranates, walnuts, and other natural sources.

In Minneapolis, suzanis have a presence at the north-of-North-Loop showroom and studio of Spring Finn & Co. Designer and collector Talin Spring has a collection of half a dozen antique suzani quilts she sourced during a trip to Uzbekistan she says were made in the mid-20th century. They’re very rare due to their high quality of hand embroidery—“an almost impossible find,” explains Spring, a native of Istanbul who grew up in Marseille, France, and travels around the world on a regular basis. She says suzanis can be used as a decorative wall hanging or, if smaller fragments are found, as upholstery.


Dating back to the 18th century, suzanis were typically created by women as part of their dowry. They were hand-stitched and hand-embroidered using a small tool similar to a crochet hook—suzan means “needle” in Persian—and were applied to the backs of chairs, stool cushions, and pillows. Dyed fabric was taken to a kalamkash, an older woman who acted as the local designer in each village, and suzani parts were divided among multiple groups of family members to embroider their sections simultaneously.

Spring’s suzani collection ranges in price from $450 to $1,300 a piece and are available to view by appointment only at her studio at 875 North 5th Street in Minneapolis. (Call 612-245-7861 or visit springfinnandco.com for an appointment.) You can also find suzani-inspired fabrics at online sources such as onlinefabricstore.net and housefabric.com, retailers ranging from Pottery Barn and Pier 1 sell ready-made, suzani-inspired curtain panels, kitchen items, rugs, and quilts.

Here’s a selection of Spring’s suzani quilts followed by suzani-inspired home goods:

Get the look for less:

Suzani Duvet Cover Set by Threshold, $69.99–$79.99 at target.com 

Red Sitka Suzani Duvet Cover Set by Azaela Skye, $50–$85 @ target.com 

Suzani Embroidered Throw Pillow in Gray by Threshold, $24.99 at target.com 

Suzani Accent Runner by Threshold, $59.99 @ target.com 

Suzani Geometric Melamine 4-pc. Assorted Salad Plate Set, $12.99 @ Target.com 

Better Homes and Gardens Suzani Indoor Area Rug, $21.86 at hayneedle.com

Mohawk Home Forest Suzani 5’x8′ Area Rug, $77.54 at homedepot.com 

Suzani Navy 84″ Grommet Curtain, $39.95 at pier1.com

Frankie Gold Suzani Armchair at pier1.com 

WallPops! Grey and Yellow Suzani Peel and Stick Wallpaper, $48.95 at Bellacor.com 

Personal Designer

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