Greek Key

The Greek Key design can be traced back several millennia in the culture of ancient Greece. The symbol is said to represent unity, flow and infinity and is believed to be inspired by the waters of Maeander River which is in present day Turkey. Typically, used as a linear design motif, the Greek key was used as decoration in many different elements. Predominately used in architecture, it can be seen as banding on temples, in mosaic flooring, marble friezes and wall decoration. It was commonly featured in everyday items like vases, plates, and quite possibly textiles. The motif was adopted by many other cultures like the Romans and Chinese!

Try using our pattern Paonessa in one of your projects today and see for yourself how this is the perfect classic layering piece for any space!

From the Renaissance, “School of Athens” is a fresco by Raphael at the Vatican.

Left - A photo of a mosaic floor from Frank’s trip to Ephesus in Turkey. Ephesus was founded by the Greeks and then the Romans occupied it and expanded the ancient city.

Right - Ancient Greek Kylix (drinking cup) depicting a “Boy with Yo-Yo” with a greek key band circling the image, circa 440 bc. Presently on display at the Altes Museum in Berlin, Germany.

Frank Cassata

His passion for textiles began in the 1990s, when Frank Cassata began collecting antique and vintage textiles, fabrics, wallpapers, swatch books, anything he could find throughout his world travels. In 1996, at the urging of his Southampton, NY neighbor who was then Design Director of Fieldcrest, Frank began presenting and selling his collections to manufacturers and retailers for design inspiration. Starting at the top, his first client was F. Schumacher.

A native New Yorker, Frank’s love of design began at an early age when his grandfather gave him a 1925 book of home floor plans which he copied and redesigned. This led to his studying architecture at Columbia University with Robert Stern and a stint in Interior Design in which he worked on projects in some of NYC most famous buildings like the Beresford and El Dorado.

Discover, Frank Cassata Designs, one of the world’s largest document studios, hundreds of thousands of pieces of art, right at your fingertips. From plaids to polka-dots, damasks to brocades, it’s the ultimate archive filled with antique, vintage and new textiles, which top designers have been inspired by to for 25+ years.

At the inception of Inside Out development, Frank began collaborating on designs for the line. He is excited about bringing his designs to these amazing performance fabrics!

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