Layering Patterns
Happy Tuesday, Friends!! How are you enjoying the fall weather? Ours has been confused, and also great. Nice crisp mornings and sunny warm afternoons. It's my favorite. And the trees all have such gorgeous leaves, both on their branches and crunchy on the ground. I run the risk of sounding super basic, but fall is just, my favorite.
Today I want to talk about layering patterns in your spaces.

I know that layering patterns can be a daunting task to take on for many homeowners, but don't let it scare you, it can be really fun and adds a lot of texture to your space!
The basic, fool proof recipe is as follows:
{1} Large Scale Pattern
{2} Geometric Pattern
{3} Small Scale Pattern
(Via)
{4} Solid
A good example of this execution:
This space executes that traditional recipe well, with the large print on the curtains and carried into a few pillows. The geometric on the rug and the smaller scale stripe pattern on the throw pillow in the chair. With the sofa, arm chair and a few pillows in the coordinating solids. Using this combination of patterns allows you to bring plenty of color into your space without the danger of being too heavy handed.
Another good recipe for layering patterns is to go with a little less color and stick to either a tonal palette or maybe just a couple colors, if that is all your are comfortable with.
{1} Tonal Medium Scale
A good tip with this method is to keep the scale at a relatively similar level and avoid going too large or too small, so as to not overwhelm with your scale. An example of this method:
This execution of the tonal method is sticking to two main colors grounded by neutrals. The patterns here are relatively similar in scale and pull their colors from the drapes. This is a relatively simple and for most people, comfortable way to layer your patterns. You generally start with your pattern that mixes the colors you want to use in the space and work around it.
The last method I want to talk about, is going more bold. You would use a large, bold pattern and simply mix it with solid colors and textures.
{1} Bold Pattern
{2} Solid/Texture
An example of this method is shown below:
This space uses the bold Ikat curtains as the prominant pattern in the space, accented by warm neutrals and rich textures.
There you have it, some, hopefully helpful and not too confusing advice on layering patterns. The main key to tying it all in is to make sure the colors relate to each other throughout the patterns. Every fabric doesn't need to have every color in it, but each fabric should have at least one color from your "main" pattern you are basing the room off of.
It's been real.
- D