Once a space’s color story is in place, everything else starts to layer naturally: which patterns can sit side by side and which textures will carry the room even when the palette goes quiet.
Patterns
Pattern pairing gets easier once you know what to look for: match the scale, then contrast the pattern type. A bold stripe and a bold floral can sit together beautifully because they’re working at the same visual weight, even though one is linear and the other is organic. Two stripes together, by contrast, tend to compete rather than complement.
The rule of thumb is always to have an element of contrast and an element of cohesion. Match your patterns in scale and contrast in pattern type (stripe against floral, geometric against organic) or contrast your patterns in scale and match in pattern type.
Textures
Texture can tell as much of a story in a room as color or pattern when done right. Blending coarse and smooth surfaces together, think raw wood against polished stone, or a nubby wool against sleek leather, gives a room depth and keeps it from feeling one-note. The balance between them also sets the feel of the space: lean into coarse textures and a room reads relaxed and grounded, lean into smooth and reflective ones and it reads more refined. Both work once the mix is intentional rather than accidental.
Patterns x Textures
Mixing patterns and textures is where a room starts to tell its own story. A collector’s space is a good example: the different textures and patterns across a collection, whether it’s cards or décor, are often what makes the room worth showing off.
Since the beginning, infusing your story into your space has been at the heart of how we design — and bold color, texture, pattern, and pattern mixing have always been some of our favorite ways to tell it.
If you’re ready to bring that kind of depth into your own space, we’d love to help you get there.
