PATTERN PLAY
Beginners’ class on mix ’n’ match textiles. PH4
Hi Jeffrey, I consider myself a decorator’s lost cause but I’m writing to you anyway. I have never been able to successfully mix pattern, be it clothing or home fashions. I love the look of mixed patterns in a room but after suffering a few disasters I now tend to stick with plain fabrics and a bit of texture. I want to freshen up my house this spring (drapes, upholstery, etc.) and am determined to add pattern. (Even my husband has commented on the fact that our house is a sea of solids.) Any ideas?
Thank you, Leah Hi Leah,
I hope you know that you are by no means alone in your inability to mix pattern. Clients and friends tell me they feel it’s one of those “you either know or you don’t know” talents, but truth be told, there are some tips that can help you successfully mix pattern. Here are three easy considerations to keep in mind as you embark on a successful spring tune-up.
Colour As you are a beginner and have admittedly racked up a disaster or two, I recommend starting with one colour palette. I’m not saying one colour, but rather one palette.
Take a look at the inspiration photo above. The living room designed by Ann Lowengart (annlowengart.com) takes inspiration from nature’s palette of blues, greens and browns.
An easy way for you to establish a colour palette (if you don’t already have one in mind) is to first find one patterned fabric with colours that you absolutely love, and use that as the starting point for your room. From there, choose patterns based on colours pulled from this original fabric.
Scale When picking pattern, think in terms of scale: small, medium and large. In our photo take note of the small animal print on the benches in the foreground, the medium print on the draperies and pillows on right sofa, and the two separate oversize patterns on decorative pillows on the left sofa. Choose at least one from each size category for a successful mix. A room filled with only one size of pattern feels off balance, just as a room filled with one scale of furniture does.
Style Animal prints, stripes, florals, geometrics, damasks and paisleys are just a few ex- amples of style of pattern. Once you’ve established a colour palette, look for various styles in those colours, keeping in mind our lesson in scale.
Whenever I begin a design project, I collect myriad fabrics until eventually I narrow my choices to the ones I wish to use. I then assign specific patterns to various pieces in the room — draperies, pillows, benches, etc. I’m careful to never eliminate a fabric until ready to assign it, because it always turns out that the fabric I think I’ll never use I invariably do. Sometimes I have 15 or 20 fabrics before paring down to five. Better to have more choices than not enough.
I hope after reading this Pattern Mixing 101 that you feel confident enough to take on your project with aplomb. You may want to involve your husband in choosing pattern, because I’ve found that husbands oftentimes have a hidden untapped talent for such things (and at least he won’t be able to pass judgment if he’s been involved in the process). Let me know how it works out!
Jeffrey