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No matter if you call it a living room, family room, den, or even keeping room, these decorating ideas will help you mix and match patterns, embrace bold colors, layer rugs, and so much more.
We see interior designers expertly mixing patterns on Instagram and in glossy magazines, but how do you do it in your home when you don t have formal training or a professional eye? There are some basic rules for getting multiple patterns to coexist harmoniously. Start by selecting a main motif that will set the tone. You need to have one statement pattern to start with, and then go from there, says Edith-Anne Duncan, an interior designer, who recommends using a floral or chinoiserie wallpaper or fabric as a launching point. Then layer in supporting designs. Pattern-mixing is a chorus, and you need altos, sopranos, tenors and a bass line, Luckett says. She advises mixing patterns with large and small scales, juxtaposing motifs that have movement (florals) with designs that have structure (geometrics), and embracing repetition through a cohesive colour scheme.
Curious about patterns? Experts share how best to use them
By The Washington Post
Marissa Hermanson
Dorothy Draper, the mother of American interior design, was a master at mixing patterns, with her liberal use of motifs and colours. She paired glossy black-and-white checkered floors and thick-striped wallpapers with furnishings upholstered in chintz, plaid and houndstooth check. Her ability to blend contrasting colours, scales and shapes made her artfully composed spaces feel like an immersive experience.
Pattern adds instant dimension and personality to a room, but it s a little scary when thinking about where to start. Pattern-mixing requires some skill, and like selecting a paint colour, people are afraid they are going to get it wrong, says Cheryl Luckett, an interior designer in Charlotte.