The Ultimate Guide to Mixing Patterns: 3 Easy Rules
Stripes, florals, and polka dots! We’re learning about decorating with pattern in this post. If the idea of combining patterns feels a little bit outside of your comfort zone, then this is for you. Read to the end, because I’m going over pattern personality, first. Then, I’m going to give 3 rules about pattern mixing that will help take out the guesswork for you.
Pattern Personality
First, what do I mean by pattern personality?
I’m going to give you three images to look at to help you decide your pattern personality.
The first one has a lot of bold patterns; even the big upholstery pieces are patterned. The curtains have pattern. The rug has pattern. There is a lot of pattern in the space.
The second image has less pattern. There might be an upholstered pattern, drapes, and some patterned throw pillows. But, it’s definitely down a notch from the first picture.
The third option has very minimal pattern. These rooms might be some patterned throw pillows or a patterned small accent chair. The overwhelming fabrics and textures in the room are solid.
Which one of these appeals to you most? Once you know the level of pattern that you like, then we can learn how to mix the patterns that are in the space.
The second question I’m often asked is, which one do I pick first? If I like pattern, which pattern do I start with?
I like to start with the rug and then my statement fabric. The statement fabric doesn’t mean it has to be a bold pattern. It just means it is my main fabric that I’m going to use to set my color palette. Then I choose the paint. Often, I’m not even painting if the paint is a neutral color. The reason I like to go in this order is because you’re going with the item with the fewest choices to the item with the most.
- Rug
- Fabric
- Paint
Another common question is, how many patterns do I use?
This is why I like to ask the pattern personality question because there’s no right answer. Some people may like five patterns. For some people, that is too much. They only like one or two. It’s not so important the number of patterns as that they work together.
Now, let’s see how to make your patterns work together. There are some basic rules that you should follow when you’re picking patterns.
You should always pick your main fabric first. This main fabric is the piece of fabric that’s going to make a statement by either going on your drapes, a headboard, or a bigger piece of upholstered furniture. Then, it’s easier to pick your secondary fabrics to go along with that main piece.
We’re going to call that the showstopper. Showstopper doesn’t mean it has to be bold. Use it to coordinate other fabrics.
If you’re not someone that likes a lot of pattern, you can still use smaller patterns in less overpowering places. Instead of a sofa, cover a chair. Here is where I used this in my living room.
Instead of big drapes, you might use a smaller Roman shade that has a pattern. Use your pattern in smaller places.
Rules of Pattern Mixing
There are three basic rules to mixing pattern. They have to do with scale, contrast, and balance.
1. Scale
The main rule about scale is that all of your fabrics should be different scale. Some fabrics will have a large pattern, some have a medium pattern, and some have a small pattern. You don’t want to pick two fabrics, usually, that have a really large pattern because then they’re competing for attention. Even if it’s not a bold color and it is muted, you still want to have fabrics that have a different size to them.
2. Contrast
The rule around contrast means that the fabrics need to look different enough. An easy way to tell if there is enough contrast is if you set the fabrics next to each other and squint your eyes. Are they different enough with your eyes squinted that you can tell they’re different? I didn’t come up with this rule, but it’s an easy way to test.
One way to make sure you do that is if you pick, let’s say, a large botanical and a medium-sized geometric and a stripe. Those patterns have enough contrast that you can easily tell they’re different.
Also, you can choose a large floral, a medium stripe, and a small dot print. These are all different size pattern and they have a lot of contrast.
3. Balance
The third rule is about balance. Balance means you pick some that are bolder and some that are more muted. If every pattern in your room is bold, it can feel more chaotic. You might love that. In most spaces, people are not comfortable with lots of bold fabrics in one room.
What if you don’t like pattern? Use Texture.
If you don’t like pattern, try this decorating tip. The way to keep your space interesting is to make sure that there are lots of different textures. Use cotton, wool, a chunky knit, velvet, or a solid color that has a pattern. These things give a room that doesn’t have pattern enough interest.
Here are some ideas about where to add pattern, if you don’t like a lot of pattern in your space:
- pillows
- lamp shades
- blankets
- accent chair
- bench or footstool
If you like a lot of pattern, you can take it up a notch and move to wallpaper or drapes. If you’re someone who has a pattern personality where you don’t like a lot of pattern, don’t spend a lot of money on wallpaper or drapes with pattern. You’re probably not going to like it for that long. I did this myself. I chose some drapes that had a bold pattern for my bedroom. I loved it for about two years, then I got sick of the drapes.
Now it’s your turn. I challenge you to find some patterns that go together. Tag me on social and show me what you found.
One thing we didn’t talk about was color. A good thing to do with your main fabric is to choose some colors from it that coordinate with the other secondary patterns. It could be a solid or a smaller pattern that coordinates with your main fabric. This is how to set your color palette for your room. See this post to learn about How to Use Fabric to Set A Color Palette.
