{"id":702,"date":"2023-02-17T20:58:14","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T20:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theinside.com\/blog\/?p=702"},"modified":"2023-03-07T16:51:44","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T16:51:44","slug":"leopard-vs-cheetah-prints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theinside.com\/blog\/leopard-vs-cheetah-prints\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Wild: Know The Difference Between Leopard and Cheetah Prints"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exotic animal prints<\/a> have captivated our design imagination for centuries. From Cleopatra in ancient Rome to Napoleon in 19th-century France, royalty have draped themselves in luxurious furs and incorporated precious animal skins into their interiors to communicate wealth, status and power.<\/p>\n

But today\u2019s animal lovers and design enthusiasts alike will be happy to know that you don\u2019t need to have access to royal coffers to get these exotic prints! Modern animal prints are widely accessible, and with so many affordable options and varieties available, anyone can easily incorporate them into their homes.<\/p>\n

But what\u2019s the difference between leopard spots, jaguar spots, snow leopard spots, and cheetah spots? It can get confusing knowing the difference between your big cat prints, so below we\u2019ve broken down the differences between the two most versatile patterns \u2013 leopard and cheetah \u2013 to help you choose the one that best suits your style and needs.<\/p>\n

Bold and Beautiful: Know Your Leopard Print<\/h2>\n

A lot of people mistakenly refer to all animal prints as \u201cleopard,\u201d but there is of course a difference between all these fabulous felines. The main difference between leopards and cheetahs are their signature spots. The background of a leopard\u2019s coat is generally a warm golden tan, and what we call \u201cspots\u201d on a leopard are actually black rosettes with light brown spots in the center.<\/p>\n

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The Inside by Havenly’s Barrel Back Dining Chairs in Leopard<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

It seems leopard print is cropping up on everything from designer handbags to dog collars these days, and for good reason. Leopard has long been the top animal print of choice in the fashion and d\u00e9cor worlds. A favorite among fashion designers like Yves Saint Laurent and Dolce and Gabbana, leopard never goes out of vogue. Interior designers have used this animal as the go-to on every surface, epitomized by this iconic interior by French design great Madeleine Castaing.<\/p>\n

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The Inside by Havenly’s Lumbar Pillow in Tawny Tiger<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The secret to leopard print\u2019s versatility is its color and scale. Its tawny blend of caramel, black and brown makes a big visual statement while the densely packed pattern tricks the eye into reading it as a neutral. That\u2019s why it works equally well as wall-to-wall carpeting as it does as a small tabletop accent. Leopard prints manage to strike a unique balance, at once being daring and fun and also timelessly chic.<\/p>\n

In a modern twist, many of today\u2019s leading print designers have created new colorways for the traditional leopard pattern, such as Schumacher\u2019s Iconic Leopard. You might never see a sky blue or rose-colored leopard roaming the jungle, but a pattern like this is a fantastic way to add some major color flair with minimum effort and expense.<\/p>\n

Sleek and Alluring: Know Your Cheetah Print<\/h2>\n

If you love animal prints as much as we do but tend to prefer something a little more subdued, cheetah print is the ideal choice for you. It exudes a quiet, slinky elegance that you can almost hear purring!<\/p>\n

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The Inside by Havenly’s Cheetah Print Gift Wrap<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The key distinction between leopards and cheetahs is the coloration and arrangement of their spots. A cheetah\u2019s coat is tan \u2013 usually a few shades cooler than a leopard\u2019s \u2013 with a constellation of uniform black spots. Leopard\u2019s spots, as you now know, are black with a brown center, whereas the cheetah\u2019s are solid black. Cheetah is the more minimal of the two patterns.<\/p>\n

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The Inside by Havenly’s Cheetah Print Gift Wrap and Bun Foot Chair in Sheepskin<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Like leopard, the cheetah print is versatile and works pretty much everywhere. Josephine Baker famously had a pet cheetah named Chiquita, with whom she often matched her wardrobe. America interior design great Tony Duquette favored cheetah as his animal layer on everything from chairs to accent pillows.<\/p>\n

Tips for Decorating with Animal Prints<\/h2>\n

You name it, we love to leopard it! Here are some ideas to bring these wild and wonderful patterns into your home:<\/p>\n