I love bold patterns! I find a lot of people are afraid to use bold patterns in their home. But have no fear. Bringing in a variety of patterns can make a space much more interesting. Follow some simple rules for mixing patterns in your home.
Use the Formula
The basic formula for mixing patterns is pretty simple: use 1 large scale print, 1 medium scale print, 1 small scale and 1-2 solids. For a conservative room, make your solid or small scale print the most dominant. If you want a WOW factor, put your large scale print on a large piece such as the sofa or rug. The blue family room above does a nice job with patterns. There's a large scale print on the chairs, a medium scale pattern in the rug, small scale in the window treatments and a solid in the sofa (small textures can be perceived as solid).
This formula is just a guideline and starting point. Once you've played around with some patterns you'll start to learn what will work together and what won't. For example, you could easily put two large scale prints in a room. However, the patterns should be quite different. In the room above, the pillows add a second large scale print. But because they're a floral print and the chairs are geometric, it works.
And always put at least one large scale print in a room. Even if it's just a pillow.
Keep it Simple
A simple color palette will make the patterns flow better. The red family room below has a lot of varying patterns but uses only 3 colors – red, cream and a touch of green. Repeating a pattern can help with cohesion. Here the a similar pattern can be found in the chairs and on the drapery panels.
Don’t be afraid of using patterns, just mix it up and have fun with it!
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