submitted by: Jennifer
04/20/11
Everyone has an opinion when it comes to mixing patterns and colors. Think you don’t? My favorite is when I ask a client how they feel about graphic black and white wallpaper and they say something like “I really don’t care, whatever you think looks good.” And then I show them what I have in mind and watch them start shaking their head and backing away. Playing with patterns isn’t for the faint of heart but the payoff can be huge IF you commit. Below are a few of my go-to tricks for getting it right.
1) Keep your big pieces neutral. Sofas and other large upholstered pieces need to play it safe. Stick with a solid color or a tone-on-tone fabric. You will absolutely regret spending a large sum of money on a trendy fabric only to fall out of love with it in six months when animal prints are out-again.
2) Use a large, bold print in a classic color on your window coverings or bedding. For the draperies, think oversized flowers, houndstooth or any of the other big hits right now but in a color you won’t tire of quickly, like navy, black or yellow. The same color rule applies for bedding but make sure the pattern isn’t too busy. I recommend a more sublte duvet with bold mix and match pillows.
3) Now its time for floors; try broad stripes or harlequin diamonds either painted on the wood or concrete floor OR in an area rug if you’re not entirely committed to altering your floors. This is the place to tie in colors from your window coverings and the wall OR your accent color (which will be used in your accessories, discussed in step 4).
4) Be a little crazy with accessories! Let me clarify: I do not mean in quantity! Every room should be carefully edited for the ultimate designer look. I mean that in your final touches- the throws, the pillows, the vases- this is the place to try out the season’s latest and greatest. The loud color, the outrageous pattern, anything you love right now but wouldn’t want to use in a larger capacity.
Tags: animal print, bedding, bold, color, drapes, floors, houndstooth, owl, paint, pattern, pillow, print, rug, stripe, subtle
Posted in DIY, Design Trends | No Comments »
Everyone has an opinion when it comes to mixing patterns and colors. Think you don’t? My favorite is when I ask a client how they feel about graphic black and white wallpaper and they say something like “I really don’t care, whatever you think looks good.” And then I show them what I have in mind and watch them start shaking their head and backing away. Playing with patterns isn’t for the faint of heart but the payoff can be huge IF you commit. Below are a few of my go-to tricks for getting it right.
1) Keep your big pieces neutral. Sofas and other large upholstered pieces need to play it safe. Stick with a solid color or a tone-on-tone fabric. You will absolutely regret spending a large sum of money on a trendy fabric only to fall out of love with it in six months when animal prints are out-again.
2) Use a large, bold print in a classic color on your window coverings or bedding. For the draperies, think oversized flowers, houndstooth or any of the other big hits right now but in a color you won’t tire of quickly, like navy, black or yellow. The same color rule applies for bedding but make sure the pattern isn’t too busy. I recommend a more sublte duvet with bold mix and match pillows.
3) Now its time for floors; try broad stripes or harlequin diamonds either painted on the wood or concrete floor OR in an area rug if you’re not entirely committed to altering your floors. This is the place to tie in colors from your window coverings and the wall OR your accent color (which will be used in your accessories, discussed in step 4).
4) Be a little crazy with accessories! Let me clarify: I do not mean in quantity! Every room should be carefully edited for the ultimate designer look. I mean that in your final touches- the throws, the pillows, the vases- this is the place to try out the season’s latest and greatest. The loud color, the outrageous pattern, anything you love right now but wouldn’t want to use in a larger capacity.
