Three Tips to Start Mixing Patterns Like a Pro
One of the details that really ties a room together are the patterns that you choose to incorporate in the overall scheme. Without patterns, a space can just fall totally flat! But with so many amazing prints, colors, and textures out there, how do you even begin to choose?
Well, the good news is that you don't have to choose just one pattern for your new room. Take a look at these three tricks to start mixing patterns like a professional designer!
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1. Start by choosing your favorite pattern.
This one should be a given. Start with the pattern or fabric that you just have to have and build everything else around it! Every room in your house should be a reflection of you, so this starting pattern should speak to you. It will also be your anchor pattern to help you make decisions on which other fabrics to use with it.
For example, let's start with this one because really, who doesn't love a classic stripe?
2. Don't forget about scale.
Scale is important because lots of large, bold prints can overpower each other in the same space. On the other hand, too many small prints together can appear really busy. By blending large, medium, and small-scale you give each pattern the opportunity to shine! So let's add another pattern to our example.
This beautiful star print works well with our stripe. It's medium-scale and pulls in the pink and cream to tie it all together. It also introduces a third color into the scheme, so you have more flexibility when you choose your final fabric! That brings us to the third and final tip...3. Follow the Rule of Three
The rule of three is an old design trick that many designers follow for more than just fabrics and patterns. It's a great guideline and usually always works - but remember, it is just a guideline so you can always make changes! For our purposes now, we're going to follow this time-tested rule because it really is helpful.
With this super cute dotted fabric, you'll notice the print is very small-scale. It also uses all of the colors from the previous two fabrics, so it works perfectly! Let's see how they all work together:
Notice how the striped fabric is larger scale, the stars are medium, and the dot print is small. They all work in harmony together to create a beautifully neutral scheme that would be perfect for a little girl's bedroom or playroom.
Let's look at another example:
This set of fabrics is similar, but we can argue that there's not really a "large-scale" pattern here - and that's okay. As long as all of the prints are relative to one another, you can usually make it work. Most of the time, your eye can tell when a certain fabric or pattern "clashes" with the others.
So that's it. Mixing patterns is really that simple. So let's sum it all up:
-Start with a fabric or pattern that you love.
-Remember to consider scale when you are choosing your patterns - when in doubt, think small, medium, large.
-Follow the rule of three - try to avoid more than three patterns per scheme. (If you're feeling truly bold and really want to use more than three patterns, the general rule is to choose an odd number.)
Now you've got three tricks up your sleeves for the next time you need to freshen up your space!
