Design Confidently, Live Comfortably
  One strong pattern can take the lead in a room and inspire other less-dominant patterns. If the first pattern you choose is a large geometric or floral print, you can pull your favorite color from it and choose smaller patterns in that color. Build on the dominant pattern. Be sure that you have both contrast and compatibility to establish a balance between the patterns. See how bold you can go.  Flowers rule In this room, a splashy floral chair stands out against miniature-patterned draperies. The dominant print reappears as a pillow elsewhere in the room. If you use a large pattern on the walls, use a smaller pattern on the furniture. For a different kind of contrast, consider a narrow stripe rather than a solid next to a large print. Or you can use the dominant pattern as a trim instead. I like to use a 2-inch-wide trim on a neutral drapery or shade so I don’t have to use the pattern all over the room. A single dominant pattern can also establish a theme in a room. A toile, for example, can set an unmistakably formal tone. If you like Chinoiserie, start with a large-scale narrative wallpaper, as a client of mine did. She fell in love with a dramatic Scalamandre chintz pattern, which was available as wallpaper and fabric. As much as I longed to use it in the bedroom, it was just too playful. Instead, we installed a fine-textured silk wallpaper for a more restful feeling and used the beloved fabric with two other patterns on the bed. We used the printed wallpaper in the adjoining master bath, which brought this smaller room to life.
Pattern power A large-scale wallpaper inspired the design at left. The monkey print brightens the master bath, while a fine-textured silk paper rests the eye in the bedroom. The dominant print was then used with two other patterns on the bed. NEXT: Start in Neutral BACK: Work with a Color Theme |
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