You see it everywhere: clashing prints on scatters, paintings with no apparent common denominator hanging together beautifully, a mish-mash of patterns making a stunning, cohesive statement.
There is a big trend for layering patterns, but doing it successfully can be a daunting challenge. Too much and it’s ghastly; too little and the effect is lost. Here are our top 9 tips to get that balance JUST RIGHT.
1) Choose a colour palette
Whether it’s blue or red or both: if all of your prints are within 1 or 2 hues, it will work beautifully.
2) Go Contrasting
Red and Green, Blue and Orange, Yellow and Purple. Contrasting colours are always a fun and vibrant combination.
3) Pick a Common Colour
As long as all the patterns or prints have a single colour linking them, it will look great.
4) Choose a type of pattern
All floral, all geometric, all fluffy animals found in forrests – whatever works for you!
5) Start with a focal piece and work from there
Taking a really busy scatter cushion or printed rug as your first point of inspiration is a great way to make sure everything will work together in the end. As long as each pattern works with the feature, the whole will work. Just take care to keep the feature piece as the hero and not to let it get lost behind everything else.
6) Play with Scale
Combine big and bold with smaller versions of the same pattern. That way, the patterns don’t compete with each other.
7) Pick a theme
French, Botanical, Scandinavian, African. All of these themes or styles have very distinct patterns within them to play with.
8) Colour Blocking with Pattern
Give colour blocking an update by combining solid colours with fresh, white patterned surfaces in the same shade.
9) Throw all caution to the wind and PLAY!
It’s your house and if you love whatever you’ve put together, then enjoy!
Happy playing with pattern!
