My Formula for Mixing Patterns in our Home

Recently we had somebody make a comment on Instagram about how our home is feeling so cohesive, even though each room is so different - and how?? The truth is, none of this is by accident. We are very intentional about how we design our spaces, and even though yes, the rooms are entirely not the same, it works because we're repeating a few design elements throughout our home - one of them being patterns. Patterns!! (It deserves more excitement, imo). When it comes to mixing patterns in our home I stick to a simple formula...

But first, let me take you back to a time where your DM's were flooding in, because of some controversial pattern mixing, in a home that wasn't even our own.

Does this bring back any memories? We were given the opportunity to makeover this bedroom, and we did not hold back in the pattern department. You definitely let us know how concerned you were for us haha. This home was in a quaint, mountain surrounded town, and we wanted it to feel cozy and familiar - enter in a floral quilt, layered over an ornate rug and a striped lumbar. It's not a combination that works for everyone, but those more traditional elements really complemented the clean lines, and cool paint color and honestly, I couldn't be happier with the finished result.

Mixing patterns in our home is similar. I have adopted the "modern cottage," style, and in relation to pattern, I repeat geometric and floral prints throughout. This repetition is one way that we have married modern and cottage together. Let's take a look shall we?

Faye's Room

Geometric - ceiling paneling, box trim, window pane, sheets, quilt

Floral - wallpaper, pillows, mirror

Girls' Office

Geometric - ceiling treatment, pillows, plaid rug

Floral - wallpaper, dried hydrangeas

Greta's Room

Geometric - sheets, blanket, striped wallpaper (looking in from the playroom)

Floral - wallpaper

Polly's Room (in progress)

Geometric - ceiling wallpaper, wall paneling, plaid pillow, quilt

Floral - curtains, sheets

The photos really speak for themselves, but can you see how it all flows together? You can make this work in your own homes too. I would think of the overall style you want for your home and then break that down into patterns. Maybe you want more of a mid-century modern style, then you could repeat geometric and abstract patterns throughout. The mix of floral/organic and geometric really keeps everything feeling fresh and it also makes the design process less stressful when I think, "Oh! time for a geometric!"

Stripes and plaids are clearly my go-to, and even the paneling we have added to a lot of the ceilings and walls add a stripe effect that I love so much!

Textiles are a great place to start when incorporating patterns in a room. The curtains in Polly's room were custom made because I fell so deeply in-love with that fabric, but curtains don't have to be custom. There's so many options out there but we wanted to put together a round-up of geometric and floral prints to get you started on your pattern-mixing journey. 

1. Gray Plaid Room Darkening $39
2. Windowpane Grid Blackout $42 (these remind me of our closet curtains!)
3. Floral Semi-Sheer $45
4. Marcum Plaid Room Darkening $58
5. Darby Curtain $78
6. Exotic Garden Blackout $83
7. Kelmscott Tree Blackout $83
8. Blackthorn Blackout $83
9. Birds Blackout $83
10. Kealan Curtain $118
11. Marie Curtain $128
12. Embroidered Gretta Curtain $128
13. Riviera Striped Linen Blackout $159
14. Thea Print $159
15. Emmaline Print $179
16. Trevin Pinch Pleat $232