Last year I was fortunate to attend a seminar given by Sarah Richardson, Canadian HGTV designer from Sarah’s House, Design Inc.  and Sarah 101. She is recognized as an absolute expert in mixing and layering pattern.

Ann Moore-Spencer with Sarah Richardson at Inspire 2011

She shared that she easily mixes well over 12 patterns in one room. She obviously has the secret! She is undisputedly a master of the art.

'Sarah's House' master bedroom

Her classic style is warm, livable and comfortable. Today I seek to give you simple guidelines she shared. Hopefully we would increase your comfort level and increase your success when using patterns.

Keep it simple.  If you are new and uncomfortable with mixing patterns, begin simply. Begin with 3 patterns: 1 large-scale, 1 medium-scale and 1 small-scale pattern.

Often multiple patterns look confusing and cluttered because we use patterns of more or less the same scale. Choose from prints (florals, pictorials, toiles, etc), geometrics and abstracts, plaids, and stripes. You can have a mixture of the different type of patterns, but limit yourself to 3 patterns to begin with.

Coupled with solid colours, 3 patterns is more than enough to add depth and interest to any space. When you become more comfortable, try adding more than 1 medium-scaled pattern. Be cautious with the large and small scaled patterns though. They are the ones that cause the most problems by overwhelming the space (large patterns) or causing visual clutter (small patterns).

Edit your colours.  I recommend that you choose one of the patterns as being the primary pattern or a starting print and select your colour palette from there. All added patterns must speak directly to, and be extracted from the palette in that primary pattern.

For interest and depth, vary the intensity of the colours, get a great mix of shapes and have some contrast in the colours in the mix. Anchor everything with a neutral colour like white, off-white, taupe, tan, warm grey, etc.

If multiple patterns in multiple colours is too much for you, begin with a multiple-patterned monochromatic scheme.

Recognise that texture is a pattern.  When we speak of patterns in décor, very often we think only of printed fabric. Texture is also a pattern. Sarah’s spaces usually sport a balanced plethora of textures.

So the nubbiness of hemp, the slubs in linen, the sheen of sateen, the roughness of burlap, the swirls in moire, etc all impact visually as pattern.

So even our solid colours can have texture and count as pattern – and this is not one of the 3 main patterns we mentioned above. We don’t want only smooth textures in a room.

Pattern is not only in fabric. Other material in your space can be considered. There is pattern in your flooring, countertops, walls, ceiling, rugs, lighting, etc.

Consider it – mosiac backsplashes, sisal or shag rugs, linen drapery, chenille upholstery, silk runners, woven baskets, shiny mirrors, warm woodwork, granite countertops, and more for instance.One of my clients has a beautiful stone wall that can easily be the focal point of her room. Yes, it may be a legacy of a time gone by, but just how we treat with it in the space as a whole will really update it and make the room more interesting. You can also add interest by juxtaposing elements with opposite characteristics.

I call it the ‘guns and roses’ factor. Velvet and aged wood, crystal chandeliers with brick or stone, for instance. It’s like using aged blue jeans with pearls.

Do not be afraid to edit.  Step back a few feet – go across the room. Are your patterns working well together or are they fighting each other? Remember that in a large space small pattern will read like a texture and in a small space some large patterns can be overwhelming. Use large patterns on large pieces. For instance, upholster a sofa in a large print and bring it to life with a layer of complementary patterned pillows. Is your colour story clear or jumbled? Don’t just rely on your eye. How does the space feel? Feelings of excitement, interesting, organic, comfortable and even complex are all good. But if you feel overwhelmed, or the room feels chaotic, confusing or cluttered. You are not done yet. Continue to edit.

Designed by Eddie Ross for Elle Decor

Here are a few more photos

Beyond Drapery Limited … for the best dressed rooms

On December 8^th, 2011 Pantone announced its 2012 Colour of the Year – PANTONE® 17-1463 Tangerine Tango, a vivacious, enticing hue. Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone’s executive director, described it as, “Sophisticated, but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it. Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.” The color specialists at Pantone hope the orangey-red hue will give us optimism for 2012. Orange signals vitality, urgency and the strength to thrust forward and break through to better times and better things. It is a colour of hope, courage and of action.

Designer: Samatha Friedman

As colourful Caribbean people we have embraced orange over the last couple years. You see it featured prominently in local fashion lines and we favour all the hues of orange generally in any item of clothing. One of my close relatives visited for the Christmas season, she commented after 2 days that her retinas were burning with all the various shades and hues of orange. I must admit that I did not notice the prominence of the colour until she mentioned it. In our interiors we use from peachy hues to brilliant yellow oranges to deep rust and terracotta to just plain orange. You can find it in interior and exterior wall colour, in floor colour, roofing, rugs, fabric and accessories. In Trinidad, I suspect we will be quite at home with Pantone’s juicy reddish orange and provocative attention getter – Tangerine Tango.

Wall Colour

We can continue to be on-trend and use Pantone’s energetic and vivid Tangerine Tango in our accent wall colour.  Liven up small spaces such as laundry rooms, powder rooms, hallways and entry rooms. Consider an upholstered headboard, ottoman or club chair. Though I know here in Trinidad, we will not be afraid to go brave and use it for more than an accent.

Decorative accents

For the more faint hearted consider accessories such as throws, pillows, table and bed linen, and wall and table- top art. Personally, I will prefer to use it as a statement rather than the whole story.

Tangerine Tango can be mixed in pattern or use as a solid. This bold colour is at home in most design styles so we are free to incorporate it into any décor.

Campbell Designs

Tangerine will look great with all neutrals, tiffany blues, blue greens, mint, sage, grassy greens, aqua, marigold, yellow-oranges, pink, fuchsia, , … the list goes on.

Designer: Belle Maison

Take the time to look around you. Observe the cosmetic industry, look at packaging, fashion, interior accessories and furnishings, paint colours … see if you can spot the vivacious Tangerine Tango. Dare to include her in your life – your space. Here’s wishing you a successful, productive and colourful 2012!

Beyond Drapery Limited … for the best dressed rooms!!

Arco lamp. Placing a lighting fixture in the centre of the dining room often does not mean it falls in the centre of your dining table. In 1962, inspired by Italian street lights, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni designed lamp to solve that problem. You can move your dining room table and the light, with its 8 foot reach, can move with you.

With its graceful and high arc, 160lb marble base and unique stainless steel shade, this Italian overhead floor lamp is probably one of the most recognised lamps. What a work of beauty; a perfect marriage of form and function!  While the characteristic arc neck and marble base is unique, I also love the shade. The shade can cast a distinctive pattern of a cluster of circles on the ceiling.

Many reproductions, and lamps inspired by the original, are available today. This design is quite at home in modern, contemporary and transitional spaces. While designed for the dining room, the arco lamp, is at home in any room of the house and in commercial spaces. The arco lamp has received numerous awards and is part of the permanent design collection of modern art. I would love to have one for my permanent collection.

Noguchi Coffee Table.  Art is not only for the walls. The Noguchi coffee table is an organic and sculptural and yet functional piece.

Designed in 1948 by Japenese American Isamu Noguchi from walnut wood and glass, the lines are sexy and timeless: 2 identical pieces of curved sculptured wood, arranged asymmetrically with a softly curved glass top. It’s all about soft curves and motion; understated elegance.

 Again this timeless classic is at home in many décor styles. The Noguchi table is produced by Herman Miller and is one of their most iconic and successful designs. Examples are also part of the Museum of Modern Art Collection.

Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman. Another Herman Miller classic, the Eames Lounge Chair was designed by Charles and Ray Eames from molded plywood and leather. I find this 1956 classic to be strong and masculine and another great example of timeless excellence in design. The chair has a low seat which is permanently reclined.

  Examples of these are part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and Art Institute of Chicago. The chair and ottoman was first created as a birthday gift for the Academy Award-winning film director Billy Wilder. It was first seen on the early version of the Today Show, the Arlene Francis Show.  I have also spotted the chair on the set of Frasier, House, Castle and Ironman and on the cover of Truth be told (Larry King’s autobiography). This wish list item is mostly for the benefit of my husband, and it will fit in nicely with my décor.

Do you think Santa will smile on me? I can only dream.

Beyond Drapery Limited … for the best dressed rooms!