Trend Alert- Patterns. Read this so you don't mess it up.

-How do I mix patterns in one room and still achieve a cohesive, yet eclectic look?


So girls and boys, I’ve been asked this question numerous times and I think it’s because it’s really intimidating to a lot of people. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns, textures, styles…whatever, it’s your space and it should reflect you, as a person; however, there are a few simple rules that you should follow. Once you’re able to say you considered all these rules, let it be if you like it. A big mistake in interior design is over-thinking every. last. decision. That’s my job, so if you think you’re going to do that, then hire me! (shameless plug…hey, it’s my blog..) Seriously though, don’t belabor every choice you make. Choose what you like, attempt to follow these simple rules and you should be good to go!

Mixology 101: Not just for cocktails, but those are nice too…

1. Choose a color scheme to work within and keep that in mind.
What feeling are you going for in that room? Soothing? Choose cool, muted hues like blues, grays, sage greens, etc. You know what cool hues are.
Want something sexy and fun? Go for brighter colors—reds, vibrant greens. Deep turquoise is a favorite color of mine right now. It’s really dramatic in a fabric like taffeta that has an awesome shine to it. (I’m actually using that fabric right now in a powder room with deep, dark crimson walls.)
You don’t want the entire room to look like something under “The Bigtop,” but definitely have little punches of color throughout, if that’s your style.




2. You can have it your way, but don’t get crazy! (Bon Qui Qui, anyone?)
When you’re selecting fabrics, choose something organic like a floral, scroll, damask or arabesque. You want something on a large scale that’s bold and graphic, perhaps, and then mix that with something more muted and/or smaller in scale like a small stripe, some small-scale tone on tones, any pattern that requires you to be up close and personal to decipher it. Then, throw in some solids in a delicious textures like velvet, chenille, silk satin, or whatever you like. If you’re feeling funky or are generally drawn to prints, a GOOD (I stress good here) animal print is always a nice choice and keeps things feeling fresh… Clarke and Clarke is doing some of my favorite fabrics right now, and one is a velvet with a subtle snakeskin print on top (in something clear and shiny.)

3. Mix and Complement—not mix and match
Again, keeping your color scheme in mind, let’s say you're going with four pillows on your sofa. Use a big-impact pattern for two of them, and a smaller-scale pattern, tone-on-tone or subtle animal print for the other two.

For the novice, try this: Keep the big pieces of furniture in textured solids, try a big-impact pattern for the drapery, patterned pillows for some oomph and a couple of pillows with a smaller scale pattern. Put down a fun geographic rug (Kravet has the BEST rug patterns) and then put up your feet and grab a cocktail because your room is finished and fab!