Dear Leanne: I have a question about using patterns correctly. I am afraid to mix patterns together and so I have stuck to solids: wall colours (cream), sofa and chair (brown leather) and a solid-coloured carpet (caramel). The colours all go well together, but I see pictures in magazines showing rooms that use florals and stripes and it looks good. How do they do it?
A: Many people find working with patterns intimidating. This results in them avoiding patterns completely. A room filled with solids and no print can be very chic if done correctly, but it runs the risk of being bland. You can add patterns to your space by following a few guidelines:
-- Vary the patterns (i.e. stripes, plaid, florals, geometrics etc.) as long as the colours remain consistent with the rest of the room.
-- Vary the size of the patterns to be small, medium and large scale. For example: large floral, medium plaid and thin stripe. This is important so that patterns neither start to look alike nor do they begin to compete with each other.
Some examples for your space may be to add a splash of personality to your window treatment. Floor-to-ceiling, side-panel draperies would be a wonderful place to add pattern. Consider a contemporary print that presents a cream or caramel background with a large teal or red print (such as floral or geometric). The background colour will provide continuity while either new colour will infuse some interest into the space, complementing the leather furniture and caramel carpet.
For a more traditional idea, incorporate a medium-sized plaid that includes the three starter colours plus a new one for some pizzazz. If the original colours are present, any additional colour will bring interest to the room.
Do not ignore the effect wall art has on the room. One large-scale print on the wall, combined with a medium-scale drapery print and a smaller print on accent pillows, will be sufficient to breathe some life into your space.
Leanne Brownoff is an Edmonton interior design consultant who welcomes your questions at www.leannebrownoff.com. Answers will be featured in her column as high volumes prevent individual email responses.
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