Patterns are a great way to pop a punch of personality into design. But, like that eyeshadow palette you just HAD to use all the shades of at once (‘fess up! We’ve all been there!), pattern mixing can easily get out of hand.
REAL LIFE MOMENT: You’re standing in the middle of a home décor store, cart full of throw pillows in a myriad of your favourite colours and patterns, thinking that it looks more like a kaleidoscope experiment gone wrong than the relaxed, I-just-threw-these-together-and-look-how-fab-they-are vibe you were going for.
Before you embark on an overhaul of your accent pieces for a new maximal-patterns look, consider the following “rules” (loosely used, as I do try not to be too hard and fast with rules when designing … but these can certainly help you avoid the psychedelic throw pillow situation above!
Start With Colour
The easiest way to mix patterns is to select ones in the same colour family. You can pull in some contrasting colours as well within the pattern, but be sure one main colour is seen in all of them for a quick, fool-proof pattern palette.
Control Yourself
I once read that when you accessorize an outfit, to make sure you aren’t going overboard you should take off the last piece you put on – scarf, jewelry, pants … no, wait, scratch that, keep the pants! 😉 I always remind myself of that tidbit when I’m designing. Sometimes, “more” is JUST more, not better! This is definitely the case when you’re working with patterns, especially if you’re new at it and want it to work. It depends on the size room you’re designing, but I would say 3 – 4 is a safe-yet-lovely number to incorporate. Of course, patterns shouldn’t be confused with texture and shine, which can be added in above and beyond those 3 or 4 patterns you have.
Scale
This is probably my favourite one! And I’m not talking weight scales (as someone once said, “ain’t nobody got that for that!”). When mixing patterns keep in mind small-medium-large (or tall- grande-venti, we aren’t particular here!). Patterns in varying sizes won’t fight with each other: think large floral, small check, medium stripe, for example.
In all of this, remember the point is to mix pattern types – we aren’t talking floral on floral on floral! Pick patterns you love, but don’t be afraid to branch out and add in a small amount of something new! Have fun with it, make your space a place that brings you happiness! By the way, here at Decorating Den Interiors we are particularly good at helping people do that, so don’t be afraid to ask us into your home too!
