If you’ve ever flicked through a glossy home décor magazine, you’ll have seen how effortless they make mixing and matching prints look. Even though they’re teaming geometric grids with checks and animal prints, they manage to tie the whole look together.
While they make their efforts look — well — effortless, the truth is they’re actually following the little-known rules for combining prints and patterns. From general advice to specific guidelines for different types of patterns, there’s actually a lot of structure to those natural combinations we see in look books and show homes.
There are some basics you can follow to update any space through the introduction of textiles, from throws to duvet covers, cushions and rugs. For example, start with your most dominating print and choose other items to complement its bold look. Try to avoid having two dominant prints in one space, as they can compete with each other and make your room look disjointed.
It goes without saying that you should choose complementary colours, but introducing neutral colours alongside your prints will help to soften the overall look. In spaces like the bedroom or lounge, this approach could be key to creating an area that you can truly relax and unwind in.
There are also rules for specific prints, like stripes, checks, animal patterns, floral prints and geometrics. For example, did you know that adding animal motifs through ornaments and embroidery can tie together the animal prints in your space?
At first, it can be difficult to know how to make the prints work for you. To help, bedding retailer House of Fraser has created the following graphic which illustrates the guidelines for each texture and print type. Use it as a reference to create unique and stylish spaces through textiles in your home.
