When my interior style became more colorful, combining patterns also became a big part of my “signature style”. As you might know I am a huge lover of (vintage) Persian rugs, who usually have a pattern going on. But I don’t stop there, and add a lot more to make the palette even more interesting. And because I sometimes receive some questions about how I do this, I thought I’d write a blog about it and share my tips.
The idea for this blog came after I received the Sway Throw by Muuto. If you’re interested in adding more color and/or patterns to your house, I would always suggest to start simple with cushions and plaids. These are items that won’t break your budget and are easily (re)moved if you’re tired of them. And so while I thought this plaid would look great in our bedroom, I first tested it in the living room, and it turned out to be a perfect match with the daybed in our bay window.
While the color yellow wasn’t represented in our livingroom yet, the brown works so beautifully with the pattern of the daybed.
So as you can see, there is quite a lot happening in this corner. We have a big artwork, a patterned rug, a patterned daybed and next to that a lot of colorful pillows and books. On top of that, the wall color is also quite striking. And while I mostly do this purely by trying and trusting my gut, I will share the tip for combining patterns that always work for me:
- My absolute top tip that works throughout our whole house is the following: Combining colors that are in the same color scheme. In my case I mix a lot of colors, but all these are usually the muted version of a color. Not bright red, but brick red. Not bright yellow, but ochre, etcetera. If they are all a muted version of the color, that is their similarity.
- Find the similarity in the combination. While you can go crazy and mix everything with anything, my experience tells me that there needs to be some sort of similarity. The daybed and the throw mentioned above are very different patterns – floral versus checkered – but because of their similar colors they work together. When it comes to our red and blue rug, I always make sure there is some blue in this area as well. Make sure it’s a cohesive whole.
- Combine different textures to keep it interesting. A tip I would give anyone regardless if you’re into color or not; combine textures. Make sure not everything in your house is smooth and shiny, but experiment with textures. Our couch is a great example of this, because I added a sheepskin and a lot of pillows all of different fabrics. There is a velvet pillow, a cotton, a linen.. They all look and feel different, and this gives this extra touch to the look.
These are my top 3 tips and I hope you can use them to your advantage! But if anything, I would suggest to simply try, experiment and feel what works for you. Your house does not have to look the same as mine – the contrary. It’s your house and you should feel comfortable in it. Do what works for you. ♥
I am very happy with the addition of this plaid. It is made of merino wool, my favorite type of wool. It’s not thick but surprisingly warm. I am all for natural materials and this has been a welcome addition to our house in these cold winter months. It is designed by Tina Ratzer and also available in black and white. You know, if color is not your thing ;-)
So did you like this post about combining patterns? I hope you did! Let me know if you have any questions left. Thanks so much for reading this post, and have a great day!
Love, Marrit
PS. This post is written in collaboration with MisterDesign. I only work with shops I love.
