Florals And Patterns and Stripes...Oh My!

Got your attention, eh? You dirty minds, you!

Seriously though, the heart of spring into summer is a fine time to play around with color, abstract patterns, stripes and yes, florals (groundbreaking…I know). And who says your bedroom has to pick a lane? I think mixing patterns is less about rules and more about confidence. I would approach it like dressing your room the way you'd dress yourself on a really good day. The trick is to anchor everything with a shared color story: pick two or three colors you love and then let every pattern from a blousy floral, to a ticking stripe, to a little gingham, all pull from that same color palette. If a wild flowery print and a preppy check are speaking somewhat the same color language, your bedroom still stays easy on your eyes and chaos-free.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about interior design just from worshipping some of my pro friends like Brad Ford, Ryan Lawson and Alexandra Hayden (Octave Studio), scale is your secret weapon when designing any space or really, anything at all. If I apply that knowledge to a bed (and the room surrounding it), it means that a big, loose floral can absolutely share a bed with a fine stripe and a chunky check, as long as they're different in size. Choosing what goes where and how is about varying the proportions: go big on one, go medium on another, go tiny on the third, and suddenly the eyes have something delightful to look at rather than something chaotic to panic about. I think the key is to also throw in one or two solids such as a plain linen pillow or a simple rug; this way, you've given all those patterns a little room to breathe. The goal isn't a room that is too matchy-matchy; but one that feels like you threw it all together and it just works. Just like with fashion choices, sometimes your most stylish days are the ones when you look the most confidently you without looking like you tried too hard. A little disheveled elegance can feel romantic; and who doesn’t want that in the bedroom?

Here's to mixing it up…