 | Nancy Martin is a design consultant for Horton's Furniture. She has been with Horton's for 15 years. Nancy has extensive experience in color coordinating, furniture placement, room design, and accessorizing. Nancy is happy to assist with any decorating problems. You can contact her at (316) 722-5090, or visit her at Horton's, 10915 W. Kellogg, Thursday thru Monday. |
Interior Decorating
2004-12-01 10:32:00
Plaids, patterns & stripes... oh my!
: I love the look of mixing patterns in my furnishings. How do you know when to mix plaids with stripes or flowers without creating a busy mess?
ANSWER: Remember when your mother told you that you couldn't wear stripes with plaids? Well, you need to put that out of your mind if we are going to decorate with a mixture of fabrics. The answer is in balance and layers. The first look I think of with florals, stripes and plaids is a cottage or French country look. It is very cozy and if done correctly is irresistibly relaxing.First chose fabrics that will compliment each other. A floral with several colors, for instance, corals, yellows, creams and greens. Then maybe a bold stripe with corals and yellows. Chose another fabric, maybe a plaid or check in greens, corals and yellows or a combination of all three. You could even add another stripe, one not quite so bold, maybe a cream and green. Look at the fabrics and decide what you want on the largest piece of furniture. Ask yourself, is it too bold, will you get tired of it? If you decide you want the stripe on the sofa and then add contrast pillows in floral and checks then you need to make sure you don't want a stripe on the wall behind the sofa. It is all about balance. You want your room to have a visual appeal that is aesthetically pleasing. If you feel like your eyes are drawn from one piece to the next and then to another and oh my gosh what's that in the corner you have created a busy mess. Try to remember to layer, stripe wallpaper, floral sofa, okay. Stripe wallpaper, stripe or plaid sofa, no, no ,no ,too many lines. Floral sofa, floral wallpaper. To much, way to much. Above all remember to bring your personality into your room. Use a few things that you collect and love, notice I said a few things its a home not a museum. In a room like this be light hearted. Don't be afraid to add a little whimsy. Old shutters with a new coat of paint would be wonderful for window treatments. Take off a closet door, paint the shelves, use different size baskets for storage and maybe a sheer or lace panel suspended at the top by a wooden rod. Layer and coordinate fabrics. One foot note, when you are done with the room, the advice I gave you about forgetting what mom said about mixing plaids and stripes goes back in effect when it comes to your wardrobe.
