Look to the runways (and the streets) for the season’s kaleidoscope of patterns—layering colors, eras, and materials in the ultimate expression of individuality. More is more! But there is a method to the mash-up. Let these four ideas guide your next creation:
Bring in Texture
Fabrics that juxtapose shiny and matte or woolly and smooth add subtle pattern while appearing almost like a solid, such as this heathered bouclé. A leopard-print velvet and futuristic materials in neoprene or metallic also create interesting depth and drama.
Balance Scale
Playing with proportion is all about impact: Put repeat patterns on smaller items, like a pillow or lampshade, and splash larger motifs across a wall and onto a chair. If you don’t want to cover an entire room, try a small space, like a powder room or hallway.
Mix Contemporary and Classic
Merging new-school textiles with Old World techniques (think: a damask in bright acid tones) instantly refreshes a room. Combine styles, such as a black-and-white graphic and a handcrafted Fortuny design, and make traditional patterns cool again.
Punch Up the Palette
If you can’t find a particular print that you love, pick a color first and build from there. Or when bringing a bunch of different patterns together, use a similar hue for structure. Grids, stripes, and polka dots are great for layering in with busier motifs to support your overall palette.
Get the Look:
Culture Club
Frank Lloyd Wright-designed fabrics in Mondrian-esque motifs meet a spotted tile floor that Yayoi Kusama would surely adore.
Coven Wallpaper, Maison C
Frank Lloyd Wright Collection Design 103, Schumacher
Frank Lloyd Wright Collection Design 107 in red and blue, Schumacher
Agrarian Hand-Painted Tiles in Pivot, Fire Clay Tile
Get the Look: Nature Rules
A Josef Frank botanical and neoprene-style Pierre Frey material refresh a classic gingham silk and glazed terracotta tile.
Cheetah Vision Wallpaper, Aimee Wilder
Exotic Butterfly Wallpaper by Josef Frank, Schumacher
Pop-Up Fabric by Boussac, Pierre Frey
Couture Lattice Fabric, Dorothy Draper
Beverly Hills Check Fabric, Dorothy Draper
Eastern Earthenware Tile, Cle Tile
Get the Look:
Retro Grand
This magenta silk jacquard could have been your grandma’s—except when paired with bold stripes and a splatter-print cotton.
Draper Stripe Wallpaper, Dorothy Draper
Samurai Bloom Fabric, Beacon Hill
Mr. Hide Leather, Jerry Pair Leather
Thunder Blotch Fabric, Timorous Beasties, $158 per meter
Stick Tree Fabric by Kvadrat, Maharam
Mantova Velvet, Pierre Frey
Ombre Rug by Kelly Wearstler, The Rug Company, $1,935
Shop more prints:
First Row:
Leopardo Cut Velvet, Luigi Bevilacqua
Clic Clac Quadrille Fabric, Hermes
Impero Fabric, Fortuny
Chalet Wallpaper by Kelly Wearstler, Lee Jofa
Second Row:
Nuit & Jour Fabric, Pierre Frey
Zee Urchin Fabric, Jim Thompson Fabrics
Brasilia by Kravitz Design, Flavor Paper
Papier Peint, Maison Darre
Get more design inspiration from the Fall 2017 issue:
The Simple Swap That Will Instantly Upgrade Your Decor
The Italian Design Team Inspiring Our Fall Color Palette
Your Go-To Guide for Small Space Seating
Discussion