I have had a long love affair, passionate love affair, with color and patterns - color and pattern make me feel good, and let's face it, we all want to feel good. It makes sense that my spirit led me to choosing a career in art & design with an intuitive sense about what works well with color and pattern.
The talented Kati Curtis talks about trend with Decor Mentor, saying "After attending What’s New What’s Next here in New York City last week, I was happy to see that pattern, craft, and color are trends that are here to stay. Minimalistic interiors might look great in magazines, but people seem to want comfort and meaning in their homes – especially now."
Pattern mixing, or also known as pattern blocking is very much on trend right now and this makes me oh-so-happy!
I could totally see designing a room around pattern blocking like this adorable child's room. It's sooooo sweet - I love it
Or if you prefer a more sophisticated look - this vignette is designed by Chesterdales Home & Garden.
This would be such a fun treatment for a a reading room, or studio wouldn't it?
I would place a mirror framed in a hand painted distressed wood frame instead of the gold one to soften the look just a touch.
There's an inherent playfulness in pattern blocking, and while a sophisticated look like this Chesterdale's Home & Garden vignette elgantly captures a vintage vagabond essence, I am more personally inclined toward playing up the playfulness of pattern blocking with bright, bold color, grounded in soft creamy white distressed finishes
These spools of vintage inspired fabrics are my favorite - fun, whimsical aren't they?
(photos via pinterest)
Fun, fresh, playful, inviting! I like it!
Here are a few ideas to help you feel good with color and pattern:
- Coordinated groups of fabrics and wallcoverings can make it simple to combine two or more patterns. But even if you do it yourself, remember that by varying the scale of your patterns, you can combine them with confidence.
- Start with an existing carpet, wallpaper, or paint color. If you have nothing to start with, then search first for a favorite fabric to anchor your overall color scheme.
- As a general rule, a good mix includes a small-, a medium-, and a large-scale pattern. Ideally, each pattern or the fabric's color should be repeated at least once in the room.
- Mixing various types of patterns is a good way to get started. Think florals with stripes and checks.
- Be careful with pattern on the walls. Before you buy wallpaper or do a paint technique, always look at it from a distance of at least ten feet so you'll have an idea how the pattern will look in a room. Because the first rule of thumb is to vary the scale, any wallpaper used on the wall should be stepped down in size from a pattern on upholstery or bedding.
- Don't feel compelled to match colors perfectly. Choose colors that blend beautifully, and when set on the same neutral background, make the mix even more eye-pleasing. The bottom line: Make sure all of your patterns have at least one color that is similar, even if it is a background or neutral.
- Finally, in a room with multiple patterns, make sure there's a place for the eye to rest. It could be as small as the lacy white pillow nestled into the chair. The pillow, poster, and other white accents also help separate and highlight the patterns.
A truly curated space is one that comes together and is crafted over time. Begin collecting patterned papers, wall paper samples, or fabric swatches for your unique vision of pattern blocking.
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