5 Tips for Pattern Mixing in a Room
Do you love rooms that just seem cohesive and settled even though they are full of patterns?
Here are 5 strong, practical rules for mixing patterns in a room so that it feels layered and intentional rather than chaotic or overly matched.
1. Start with a Hero Pattern
Choose one dominant print to lead the room.
This is typically:
Wallpaper
Drapery
Bedding
Large upholstery piece (headboard, sofa, accent chair)
The hero pattern should establish the mood, scale, and colour direction of the space.
For example:
Large floral chintz → romantic English cottage
Structured stripe → tailored heritage
Organic botanical → relaxed European estate
Everything else should support—not compete with—the hero.
2. Vary the Scale (Large / Medium / Small)
One of the biggest mistakes is using patterns that are all the same visual weight.
A reliable formula:
60% Large Scale → statement pattern
30% Medium Scale → supporting print
10% Small Scale or Texture → subtle grounding
Think in contrast:
Large
Oversized florals
Scenic prints
Bold botanicals
Medium
Vine motifs
Damasks
Lattice or trellis
Small
Tiny ditsy florals
Pinstripes
Dots
Small geometrics
Example:
Large cabbage roses + medium ticking stripe + tiny scattered bud print = cohesive, layered, collected.
3. Mix Pattern Types, Not Just Different Prints
Rooms feel richer when pattern families contrast.
Try combining:
Organic: florals, botanicals, vines
Structured: stripes, plaids, checks
Textural/Quiet: woven look, subtle geometric, tone-on-tone
A useful formula:
1 floral + 1 stripe/check + 1 subtle texture
Example for English cottage:
Romantic floral wallpaper
Mattress ticking stripe bedding
Small woven diamond on a bench cushion
This prevents the room from feeling “too floral” or visually flat.
4. Repeat Colours (But Not Perfectly)
Patterns do not need identical colours—but they should speak to one another.
Aim for:
2–4 repeated colours across the room
Different saturation or proportions
Example:
If the wallpaper has dusty rose, sage, cream, and ochre:
Bedding may emphasize cream + sage
Chair fabric picks up dusty rose
Lampshade introduces muted ochre
This feels collected rather than “bought as a set.”
A useful rule:
Shared palette, different emphasis.
5. Give the Eye Places to Rest
Pattern mixing works best when balanced with solids and texture.
Use:
Painted walls or trim
Linen bedding
Natural wood
Rattan
Velvet
Wool
Simple lampshades
Negative space is what makes layered rooms feel sophisticated instead of busy.
A Simple Formula You Can Almost Always Trust
For a cohesive room:
1 hero floral
1 stripe or check
1 supporting organic print
1 subtle blender/texture
This is one reason many classic interiors feel so effortless—they are intentionally varied, not perfectly matched. The room feels collected over time rather than coordinated in a showroom sense.
Starting Small With Wallpaper
Floral Duet Wallpaper
Wallpaper is showing up more and more in home decor since people are wanting to personalize their spaces. Enough of the sterile white kitchens! But where are the best places to install wallpaper if you just want to start small?
ACCENT OR FEATURE WALL
Typically in a living room, dining room, or bedroom, a feature wall gives a focal point without overwhelming the whole room. Simply decide which wall is most visible when entering the room, and/or best seen from other rooms. Since it is only one wall, you can choose something as bold or subtle as you want. Both will work for an accent wall.POWDER ROOM OR HALF BATH
Have you seen the trend to wallpaper an entire half bathroom? So impactful! This is an opportunity to go bold or dramatic without it being ‘too much’. Surprisingly, papering a small space does not make it feel smaller but makes a statement that draws people in. With a smaller room, there it less material required and therefore costs less.BEDROOMS
Hanging wallpaper in a bedroom makes a statement on the wall behind the head of the bed or even behind the dresser. Here you can choose to just paper one wall like an accent wall or paper the entire room. One caution would be to choose a pattern that is more on the soothing side as you still want to invite sleep. To save costs on papering the entire room, consider doing a bead board wainscoting on the bottom of the wall (less costly than wallpaper), and then applying wallpaper around the top half of the room. Or, if you are bold enough, try papering the ceiling!HALLWAYS, ENTRYWAYS, FOYERS
These are transition spaces where wallpaper can set the tone and interest without needing full-wall coverage. You can choose to paper only one wall or a portion of all walls. For example, in an entryway try wallpapering the lower half of the wall and painting the upper half, adding a beautiful wood trim (inexpensive) to cover the transition between the two. With wallpaper on the lower half of high traffic spaces it can also help to protect walls from general wear.STUDY AREA, READING NOOK, BEHIND BOOKCASES
Other small areas of the home can be emphasized with a little wallpaper too. A cantilevered space with a small table and chairs would make a great study or breakfast space and it would be elevated with a splash of wallpaper to define the area. The same goes for a reading nook, if you are fortunate enough to have one. Many homes have a fireplace with recessed spaces on either side and, to balance it all out, bookcases are placed in those spaces. But instead of a plain painted wall, try adding wallpaper behind the bookcases to draw in the eye and yet not overwhelm the entire room.
BACKS OF SHELVING, INSIDE BOOKCASES, SMALL NICHES
These are often overlooked places to install wallpaper but they are perfect for adding a pop of pattern. If you want to just start small or unsure of what you would like as a wallpaper, this may be a great place to start.
So whether you are hesitant to hang your first panel of wallpaper or wanting to save some costs, consider starting small with some of these spaces. Whatever you decide, you will be taking a step toward making your home more you!
How to Measure a Room for Wallpaper
Repapered Bedding with Spring Unfolded Collection
Have you noticed that the trend for wallpaper has been increasingly popular?
You may remember that in the early 2000s wallpaper had a bad rap. It was mainly driven by changing design trends and the challenges associated with older wallpaper materials and installation. Many of the patterns from the '80s and '90s—floral motifs, heavy damasks, and gaudy prints—felt outdated and too busy. Wallpaper designs seemed old-fashioned and out of touch. But one of the biggest turn-offs for homeowners and renters alike was the difficulty in removing wallpaper. Older wallpapers were often glued down with strong adhesives, and peeling or stripping them off could be a time-consuming and frustrating task, often leaving behind remnants that required hours of cleaning and scraping. This made many people hesitant to use wallpaper in their homes.
However, like most styles, wallpaper has come full circle and returned with a flourish. Due to new trends like peel-and-stick wallpaper, advances in digital printing, and a shift toward personalized, unique designs, wallpaper is now viewed as a fun, customizable option that can add texture, color, and personality to a space without the same drawbacks as the past.
So today if you find yourself scooped up in this super-fun trend BUT are feeling overwhelmed then let me show you how to start!
Measuring your wall(s) accurately is the first step. Always measure the tallest point of the wall and the widest point of the wall as in the diagram below. You do not need to include baseboards. Also, do not subtract for windows or doors as this will simply be trimmed out when applying the wallpaper to the wall.
Always measure the tallest and widest point of the wall for wallpaper
Wallpaper is printed in such a way that the pattern lines up perfectly based on the length of the roll. So when you begin applying the wallpaper on a basic wall, start at the top of the wall and proceed from left to right. That way, when you begin again at the top of the wall with the next sheet, the repeat pattern will match the previously applied sheet.
Process for a Calligraphy Piece
I am not yet able to create a perfect calligraphy piece on the first attempt.
Many calligraphers can pick up a pen and their years of practice and learning have brought them to a place where they can just start writing and make a perfect piece the first time. I hope to be there one day.
In the meantime, I still have to make many versions of a quote before I can call it ‘done’. Often I will start with a pencil drawing straight from what I envision in my mind. That doesn’t always look good, so I pull out my eraser and make a few changes and tweaks. This can happen several times.
When I feel that it is getting close to what I want I will draw the piece in brush pen, so that I can make adjustments for the width of the pen lines.
Inevitably, once I see it done in pen I usually see a few more areas that could be better. Again, I could end up doing this a few more times. Sometimes I am happy at this point and let it rest.
But sometimes I look at this quote after a few weeks and see where I still need to make changes. When this happens I will bring the piece into my iPad as an image and then I can trace it and make adjustments from there.
Currently, this is where this piece resides. I am still unsettled on a few things, so I will work further on it.
But eventually, this quote will end up in my little Etsy shop!
Tutorial: Pamphlet Stitch for Making Notebooks
A while ago I shared an album flip through of my Summer Memories album. In that video I mentioned that I would do a video that demonstrates how to do the pamphlet stitch, which is what I used for that album.
Well today the timing and lighting came together, so here is that video! Enjoy!