A few weeks ago I shared how boring our master bedroom is and how I’ve been trying to refresh it. The big thing I was missing in the bedroom was pattern. It was too tone on tone for me and I needed a big dose of happy color! I’m a girl who loves making a room interesting through pattern so I thought I’d give some tips on how to mix pattern when decorating.
before
with a few tweaks
final room reveal
This week I teamed up with JCPenney to give my bedroom one last final layer. I am beyond excited to say that this room is DONE and I couldn’t love it more! As you might notice, that room has a lot of pattern. I wanted to share my tips on how I mix patterns in my home to create an interesting and beautiful space.
I have a formula when it comes to mixing pattern it is Organic + Geometric + Texture.
organic
This is your bold pattern. It can be a floral print or an animal print or ikat or leaves or toile or birds. For me, this is the pattern I pick first and then revolve the rest of the decisions around. This is the showstopper piece that gives you all of the heart eyes. For the bedroom, its that stunningย Aboretum bedding.
geometric
Next up, you add in a geometric print. The continuous repeat of pattern with geometric fabrics works hand in hand with the organic pattern. It can be buffalo checks, stripes, plaid, polka dots, or trellis. Make sure to mix the scale of the organic and the geometric pieces- so the large flower print on the bedspread works great with the medium geometric pattern on the pillow shamsย and square accent pillow.
texture
Lastly, you add in some texture. This is where your eye gets a second to rest after the excitement of the last two patterns. The texture is where you add in balance to your bed (or sofa). Some examples of texture are faux fur, linen, velvet, chenille, ticking or silk. You can do a pattern, but it should be tiny in scale (smaller than a quarter).
In a room, its the wood floors, the stone mantle, or the painted walls. For my bed, the back row of Euro pillows and the cute accent pillow up front are where I added texture.
scale
When mixing pattern, you also want to make sure to mix the scale of the patterns you use. One pattern should be large, one should be medium, and the texture should always be small. My mixing up the scale, it keeps the eye moving across the patterns and it keeps things interesting.
color
When choosing colors, your organic print should have some of all of the colors you are hoping to incorporate in the room. Then, when you’re choosing your geometric and textural fabrics, those should pull from the main fabric. Honestly, you can have the three different patterns totally different colors, but personally, I like them to coordinate.
pattern mixing in a room
I wanted to share another example of how I use the pattern mixing formula in this room. So I think of my room in different areas. The bed is an area, I have a reading corner, and I think of the room as a whole as a place where I want to mix patterns.
So for this room, I had pattern on the floors with the pink rug (my organic pattern), I had a texture pattern with the wood floors and white walls. I was just missing a geometric pattern. So I replaced the grey curtains with Bayview Emboridery window panels. If your room is feeling incomplete- run through the formula (organic + geometric + texture) and see where you have a missing link. It’ll help you find where you need to add some interest.
pattern mixing in the reading corner
I showed you the reading corner last week, but I wanted to share it in context to pattern mixing. The tapestry is the floral (obviously), the geometric is the striped throw, and the texture is found on the throw pillow with the faux fur.
the foundation of a bed
I added some other elements to the bed that I thought I’d mention too. You can’t see them, but having a good foundation on the bed is important since sleep is a way bigger priority than how it looks.
–mattress pad. I am strangely passionate about mattress pads. Everyone should have one to keep your mattress from getting stained since stains can void your mattress warranty. Plus, no one wants to move and have an embarrassingly stained mattress. I LOVE this mattress pad because it wicks moisture and cools you down. It’s made my mattress more comfortable and I’ve honestly been sleeping better.
-pillows. I like to get a new pillow every 6-12 months. You know when you get a new pillow and your old one all of the sudden looks small and shriveled up? Yep, that totally happened to me. Again, I got a cooling pillow since Florida is so hot (it doesn’t really cool down here at night).
-sheets. To finish off the bed, I added in new sheets. Isn’t getting into bed with soft sheets the best?!
jcpenney
The first time I shopped at JCPenney for home goods was 10 years ago when I found my dream vanity and mirror there. It was an affordable price for a newly wed and I was so excited to find exactly what I needed! Since then, I like to check JCPenney out when I am shopping for a room since they have beautiful on trend finds at a great value.
Speaking of affordable, JCPenney is having a big Shop by Room event right now! Click here to check out the sale (including 60% off bedding sets!!!)This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.