Simple Rules for Mixing Fabric Patterns!

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to update a room is with some fabulous new fabrics!!  I like to purchase neutral furniture that is of high quality and will last.  Then, find some fun fabrics for drapes, pillows, ottomans and maybe even an accent chair to help add personality to the room.  The neutral furniture will last for years and will be the foundation of your room .  The fabrics can easily be changed and updated as you desire.  You can even have pillows and drapes for the holidays and varying seasons...a nice touch to keep your home fresh!

The first thing you have to do is decide on a color palette! 

Look at magazines!  Look on PINTEREST!  Walk through fabric stores!  (Oh this is so fun!!) Choose four or five colors you want to make up your room. Make sure the colors you choose compliment your furniture, wall color and trim...unless you plan on changing those too :)  Also take into consideration adjacent rooms...unless you plan on changing those too...!  Ah yes, these projects can turn into something grande and fun if you want them to!   

NOTE:  When choosing your colors MAKE SURE YOU LOVE THEM!!!   Make sure every time you look at them, you want to show everyone you know how pretty they are together!!  (I know - I am a decor geek!)

OK - with color palette selected, you are ready for some fabric fun :)  The rules are simple, really.  Here they are:

KEEP COLOR CONSISTENT.  KEEP PATTERN SIZE AND PATTERN TYPE VARIED.



Easy peasy, right?  OK - if you're not quite feeling it yet, go to a great fabric store.  One that has lots and lots of HOME INTERIOR fabrics (NOT Joanne's, People!!).  Take a walk around....feel better?  You should!!  Luckily the fabric stores do most of the work for you!  Walk around and find that one MAIN CHARACTER of your room...the fabric you absolutely love and can not live without.  Don't make a rash decision!  Bring a sample piece home.  Court it :)  Date it a little.  Bring it home to meet your family and friends...and your wall color and sofa too!  You may bring home TWO or THREE or SIX or SEVEN potential suitors...and then be able to rule most of them out...too boring, too loud, not my style, cute but not THE ONE.  And then eventually you will find Mr Right :)  PHEW!!

Once you have chosen your main fabric.  Go back to the fabric store and look at all of the complimentary fabrics that are near yours.  The fabric stores do a great job of coordinating the fabrics on display.  There are so many types of patterns - geometric, paisley, stripes, florals, checks, plaids, prints, polka dots...have fun with it and let your personality shine through in your choices. 

This is where you want to remember the two rules.  Make sure you are consistent with colors and you vary the pattern type and pattern size.  So if your main fabric is a large floral, and you find a nice coordinating stripe that is large, make sure you also find a nice small floral or a small plaid to help vary the size of the patterns.  The types are varied because you have florals, stripes, plaids...are your colors consistent??  If so, you are good to go. Remember you do not have to have ALL of your colors in every pattern.  You will find you choose two or three main colors, and a couple of secondary colors that join in occasionally. 

Here are some of my FAVORITE fabrics combos...Enjoy!


From southernaccents.com:

From coastalliving.com

Also from coastalliving.com

From bhg.com

From bhg.com

From bhg.com

From housebeautiful.com

From housebeautiful.com

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