I’m back today with another Reader Design Dilemma post and this one is near and dear to my heart ~ because we’re talking about pattern mixing! Which just so happens to be one of my favorite things to wax on about in the world of decorating! As evidenced by this post on pillow pattern mixing where I shared a slew of no-fail combinations. Anyhow, Michelle wrote in, “I loved reading your post on mixing patterns for pillows……Do you have any advice on how to work around a patterned chair?” Yes Michelle, I do! Decorating with patterned upholstery is something a lot of people shy away from; but if you love pattern, you should definitely go for it!
People tend to play it safe with with solids for fear of overwhelming a space, but patterned upholstery can be show stopping and add so much personality to a space! A patterned chair makes a bold statement.
Tip #1 – Only Work With What You Love
I can’t stress this enough, but “decorating around” something you’re not crazy about is never a good idea. So if you’ve inherited a hand-me-down patterned sofa or chair and you’re not in love with the pattern – change the upholstery. Don’t try to make fetch happen. (Please tell me you get that reference.) It’s just never a good idea to try and make something work that you don’t love. No matter what you try to do to make that piece work, you’ll probably never be happy with the ways things look.
So if the question is how to make a patterned piece you love work in your space……here are some tips!
Tip #2 – Let the Pattern Set the Color Scheme for the Space
This can be a great way to pull a room together as the colors in the pattern itself obviously all mesh well. When you’re out shopping it helps to have a picture of the pattern, or better yet a swatch of the fabric, with you so you can source pillows, art, accessories, etc. that work within your color scheme.
Here you can see how the sofa fabric led the design and inspired the color palette of the whole room. The color blue in the fabric is a major element while sage green is an accent that adds interest.
Tip #2 – Go All In With the Pattern
This can be tough to do when it comes to decorating with patterned furniture you’ve had for a while or are buying second hand. But if you are going custom or if you are having something reupholstered, you may want to consider spreading that pattern around the space.
When the pattern is a colorful, large scale, bold print this can be a simple way to bring the room together while also keeping things from feeling overwhelming with a lot of different prints. The key here is in having a relatively calm, neutral background.
Both images above via Ballard Designs
Tip #3 – Vary the Scale of the Pattern
The same “basic rules” apply whether you’re talking about mixing pillow fabrics or mixing patterned upholstery pieces. The stakes may feel higher, but the way you play the game is the same. Consider the scale, or the size, of the pattern. Pair large with medium and small scale prints.
Tip #4 – Animal Print Always Works
Leopard is a neutral. You’ve heard that before, but pretty much any and all animal prints play well with others.
In this gorgeous, colorful space you can see that the red floral upholstery on the chairs led the color palette for the space in that the designer pulled the blue in the red fabric for the sofa. This floral (chair) – geometric (the sofa fabric reads as a stripe) while bold, works perfectly together and the animal print brings it to the next level! I LOVE everything about this space. EVERYTHING!
Summer Thornton via House Beautiful
Tip #5 – Add Leather
This tip works especially well when the patterned piece is a floral print and you’re looking to add some masculinity to the space to keep the room from feeling too sweet. But in general, leather works well with patterned upholstery and you don’t have to think to hard about making it “match” your fabric. Leather just has a way of grounding a space.
Working with Michelle’s Floral Chair
In Michelle’s living room her question was in regards to this bold floral chair. She has a sofa and loveseat upholstered in a beige-y gold solid with a subtle textural design, and a burnt orange chair that draws off the orange in the floral patterned chair. With the large scale floral pattern and the burnt orange chair in the space bringing a punch of color and pattern, balancing the color and pattern with a smaller scale print and some stripes on the sofa will pull this seating arrangement together nicely. The floral chair will be the main center of attention, and everything else will compliment.
Stripe, Burnt Orange, Sage Green, Votives, Chunky Throw
Keeping the burnt orange as the main accent color makes the solid chair look more intentional, and accenting that with a few pops of sage green will temper the warm tones. I’m a fan of interesting solids that add texture like velvet. And chunky knit throws always add a welcoming, cozy vibe to a living space.
Another pillow combination that feels slightly more daring but would also work in the space…..
Groundworks Agate, Leopard, Burnt Orange
In this case I’d use the agate print, solid burnt orange and leopard on the sofas, and I’d use the burnt orange geometric lumbar on the burnt orange chair.
- Design takeaway – The key to working with patterned upholstered furniture is to use it as the inspiration for the design of your whole space. This is why it’s so important to start with a pattern you absolutely love! From there, you just need to figure out which colors in the fabric pattern are the ones you want to see more of in your space. Pull one or two colors from your patterned piece to use as your main accent colors. Keep your solids interesting and vary the scale of the prints you’re working with in your space.
Have fun! Decorating is meant to be an expression of your personality. Like any art form, there are general guidelines, but no hard and fast rules.
Thanks so much for reaching out with your design dilemma Michelle! I hope you found this post helpful!
If you have a design dilemma you’d like for me to tackle in this blog series, send an email to Carmel@ourfifthhouse.com!
