(Tricia Guild Pattern, 2008, Quadrille Publishing)

As a designer, I am constantly asked how to achieve depth and layering in rooms for that “full” and luxurious feel. There really is a simple method to the mixing of patterns.

You simply start with a larger more “dominant ” pattern that you truly love and work from that pattern. As long as you stay in the same tones and color palette or a complimentary color it’s really a “no fail” system.

(Tricia Guild Pattern, 2008, Quadrille Publishing)

For instance, if you start with a large overscale floral, your second pattern might be a plaid or stripe that brings in all the colors in the floral.

Then you would bring in a textural solid to anchor the room (maybe as a sofa)…a texture with a strong hand can act as a pattern without fighting the patterns already chosen. Then you pull from the original pattern and find a pattern with “movement” in a complimentary color. This brings the third layer of the design. A geometric pattern adds a quirky punch for further layering. Within each layer you are bringing in more depth and interest in you room.

(Chalres Faudree Details 2011 Gibbs M. Smith, Inc.)

Next look for a small print, perhaps a herringbone or even a ottoman fabric with another texture that reads both pattern AND hand. As we build on these textiles it makes for a room that has an air of sophistication and an”old-world feel.”  In English country homes you will find patterns and textures so plentiful that they spill off the furnishings.

Once you master mixing patterns you will have a whole different outlook on the world of textiles and the endless possibilities offered by fabric and the fabrication available to you in your design.
Tune in next month for my current project!

Kelli Wilson is the creative mind behind Kelli Wilson Consulting. She is the resident designer at Designer Effects, a to-the-trade fabric showroom located in Little Rock.