Decorating
Trends: How to Decorate Confidently With Pattern
Nervous of pattern? Don’t fret – read these tips for decorating with bold designs and you’ll be introducing angles and swirls in no time
Do you fancy updating your home for the new season with an on-trend jolt of pattern? Whether on your floor, furniture or walls, a bold, decorative mix cheers up a space and adds personality. Check out these top tips for working this fashion-inspired trend with confidence.
Show off your rugs
Create islands of pattern with an eclectic selection of differently sized rugs. A dark painted floor or wall-to-wall dark carpet becomes a foil for newly bought or exotic travel souvenirs. The dark colour unifies the room, while the rugs inject visual interest and drama.
Create islands of pattern with an eclectic selection of differently sized rugs. A dark painted floor or wall-to-wall dark carpet becomes a foil for newly bought or exotic travel souvenirs. The dark colour unifies the room, while the rugs inject visual interest and drama.
Design a tile ‘quilt’
Tiles come in an infinite variety of patterns, so you don’t need to settle on just one. Instead, conjure a magical patchwork, mixing tiles in a variety of designs. To keep the installation process hassle free, make sure they are all the same size. For an extra punch of pattern, introduce a stripy blind and upholster a comfy chair in a large-scale floral.
Check out more surprising ways to add vibrance with tiles
Tiles come in an infinite variety of patterns, so you don’t need to settle on just one. Instead, conjure a magical patchwork, mixing tiles in a variety of designs. To keep the installation process hassle free, make sure they are all the same size. For an extra punch of pattern, introduce a stripy blind and upholster a comfy chair in a large-scale floral.
Check out more surprising ways to add vibrance with tiles
Add pattern with art
A runner is a tried and tested way to brighten a staircase, but for an added flourish and a more personalised statement, bring pattern to your walls by mixing favourite artworks. Paintings, prints and photographs hung closely together create a textured and colourful effect. To unify elements of a disparate collection, keep frames consistent in hue and material.
A runner is a tried and tested way to brighten a staircase, but for an added flourish and a more personalised statement, bring pattern to your walls by mixing favourite artworks. Paintings, prints and photographs hung closely together create a textured and colourful effect. To unify elements of a disparate collection, keep frames consistent in hue and material.
Be bold in surprising places
Apply pattern to unexpected surfaces, such as this bathroom door covered in an exuberant wallpaper. Why it works? The door opens on to an elegant black stone space with a classic vibe that balances the riot of colour outside.
Apply pattern to unexpected surfaces, such as this bathroom door covered in an exuberant wallpaper. Why it works? The door opens on to an elegant black stone space with a classic vibe that balances the riot of colour outside.
Create a kitchen collage
Layer swatches of wallpaper in different patterns to add flair to a neutral kitchen. This is the perfect way to repurpose wallcoverings from past projects or use bargain finds from seasonal sales. On a practical note, be sure to use a clear acrylic splashback over the wallpaper behind the sink and hob to ensure your creation has longevity.
Layer swatches of wallpaper in different patterns to add flair to a neutral kitchen. This is the perfect way to repurpose wallcoverings from past projects or use bargain finds from seasonal sales. On a practical note, be sure to use a clear acrylic splashback over the wallpaper behind the sink and hob to ensure your creation has longevity.
Play with geometry
Mix leafy and other nature-inspired prints with a geometric rug. The hexagonal repeat creates a background that makes your hero fabrics pop. Contemporary art on the walls and some neutrally coloured pieces, like this chair and coffee table, keep the look fresh and modern.
Mix leafy and other nature-inspired prints with a geometric rug. The hexagonal repeat creates a background that makes your hero fabrics pop. Contemporary art on the walls and some neutrally coloured pieces, like this chair and coffee table, keep the look fresh and modern.
Team floral walls with bold bedding
Chose a pretty wallpaper and cover all four walls, including any plain cupboard doors, to achieve a well-considered and harmonious look. To keep the space feeling crisp, introduce ironed white sheets and a graphic quilt to complement the room’s colour palette. This injects scale and adds a tailored touch.
See 10 ways to work with modern florals
Chose a pretty wallpaper and cover all four walls, including any plain cupboard doors, to achieve a well-considered and harmonious look. To keep the space feeling crisp, introduce ironed white sheets and a graphic quilt to complement the room’s colour palette. This injects scale and adds a tailored touch.
See 10 ways to work with modern florals
Jazz it up
Enliven your spare or teenager’s room with zingy zigzags and stripes. An otherwise white room goes from humdrum to polished with little effort. Wallpaper the back wall and use a matching fabric on the headboard to create a focal point, then dress the bed with complementary bed linen. For a finishing touch, add a colour accent with jolly red lamps.
TELL US…
Are you a fan of pattern or do you prefer to play it plain? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Enliven your spare or teenager’s room with zingy zigzags and stripes. An otherwise white room goes from humdrum to polished with little effort. Wallpaper the back wall and use a matching fabric on the headboard to create a focal point, then dress the bed with complementary bed linen. For a finishing touch, add a colour accent with jolly red lamps.
TELL US…
Are you a fan of pattern or do you prefer to play it plain? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
If this scheme featured a riotous mix of bold prints, it could easily founder. The secret to its success? Keeping the patterns contained in specific areas and pairing them with white furniture and pale grey walls. This turns the rug, artwork and jolly blinds into statement accessories that enliven without overwhelming the room.