Using Pattern in Your Home

There’s a pattern for everyone when it comes to interior design, but using it well can be difficult. There are several ways to use your chosen pattern, but getting it wrong can spell disaster. Take a look at our tips for getting it right.

Feature Pattern

If there’s a pattern that you really love, then why not use it in different forms throughout the rooms. Use a pattern on your wall, and the same in the cushions, but perhaps in a different colour or tone to unify the room. Unless your room is very large, try to avoid using wallpaper on every wall, but you can use it in your soft furnishings in a different colour, but the same proportion. You can keep it as subtle or as bold as you like, but don’t overdo it.

Pattern on Pattern

Pattern on pattern can be difficult to pull off. That's why you need to put a lot of thought into how to do it. The first thing you need to do is to think about colour. Lay out all your possible choices next to each other (this is where swatches and samples come in handy), and if some look awful combined with the others then remove them straight away. Ideally, go for a tonal similarity, such as a blue or a pink. Once you have a main colour, choose a colour to contrast with it. When it comes to scale, you want to pick the one from the small, medium and large scales, though this is more complicated to understand.

Pattern Focal Point

Create a focal point with a pattern and draw the eye to your sofa, your carpet or a wall. Choose a bold pattern and use colour from it to inform the rest of the room, but don't let the focal piece be the only pattern in the room. If you've chosen a bold pattern as your focal point, then choose another pattern in similar tones but more subtle. Use the secondary pattern in smaller furnishings, such as cushions. The rest of the room should be in plain, neutral colours so as not to overpower the space you have to allow the patterned pieces to take the centre stage.

So if you're looking to use pattern in your interior design, then make sure you do it well with these tips.