Even the dullest interior can be brightened up with the right surface pattern. A tiny space looks much more interesting if its walls are papered with a good choice of surface design. And the mood of any room is lifted by a pattern with attractive colours and motifs. For example, a bedroom needs to be restful, so softly-coloured curtains in a pattern such as ‘Pink Posy‘ or ‘Honeysuckle Blue‘ are ideal. Cushions to match or with toning fabrics, tie in different aspects of the bedroom. If the walls are painted in a subtle block colour, fabric patterns which include this shade relate well to the room and each other.
Living Rooms
Living rooms are often decorated with bolder patterns. The larger the room, the more there is scope for, perhaps, a feature wall with an eye-catching wallpaper design. ‘Heat Haze‘ or ‘Wax and Wane‘ are good examples from our collection. Carpets and curtains should then be more neutral, with the right colours to blend in. And any other related fabric patterns on curtains or furniture look best if they are simpler or smaller in scale. Some patterns are designed to be used together, having the same colours and similar motifs. Usually there will be a ‘hero’ pattern, which is stronger and more visually dominant. Then additional ‘secondary’ and ‘blender’ patterns will supplement the main design in the collection.
Kitchens
For kitchens, fabrics featuring vegetables and fruit are a popular choice for curtains and blinds, such as ‘Russet Apple‘ for instance. Or, a geometric pattern on tiles or wallpaper looks fresh and clean cut in a kitchen, as in ‘Olive Grove‘. For a more traditional country kitchen, ‘China Blue‘ is a perfect fabric pattern to go with blue and white china. And ‘Hayride‘ is a rustic gingham-style surface pattern which looks beautiful on tablecloths and napkins.
Surface Pattern and Block Colour
Generally, block colours and patterns need to be used in a balanced way. Too many block colours look plain or heavy. But an overload of surface patterns can be confusing and looks cluttered. If the walls are patterned, the floors and furniture should then be harmonious block colours, with a touch of toning fabric patterns on one or two cushions, perhaps. But if the walls are plain, they form a good background for patterned curtains, furnishings and floors. Sometimes, many related patterns are deliberately put together, maybe on a patterned sofa with patterned cushions, for example. This produces a rich, sumptuous effect, and was a popular style feature in the 1980s (see the work of Kaffe Fasset, for instance).
And remember that, on a patterned surface, a mark or a stain is much less likely to show than on an area of pure block colour! Have fun browsing our collection of fine art prints, which includes many original vintage surface patterns – just right to set off your personal interior decor!