Matching patterns in interior design often starts with a dominant fabric and coordinating other patterns based on its colours.
The Foundation: Starting with a Primary Fabric
A key strategy for matching patterns is to begin with a primary, or dominant, fabric. This fabric serves as the inspiration for the rest of your pattern choices in the room.
- Identify the Dominant Fabric: Choose a fabric with multiple colours and patterns that you love. This could be on a large piece like a sofa or curtains.
- Extract the Colour Palette: This dominant fabric contains the key colours you will use throughout the space.
Coordinating Secondary Patterns
Once you have your primary fabric, the next step is to select other patterns for secondary items in the room.
According to one approach, you should "Find patterns that pull together the dominant colour and a couple of other colours from the primary fabric." These new patterns don't need to be identical to the primary one but should echo its colour scheme.
Applying Patterns to Other Elements
- Secondary Pieces: Use these coordinating patterns on various items. The reference suggests using them "on secondary pieces in the room, such as rugs, cushions and lamps."
- Building the Scheme: "Continue to build the scheme until you have represented all of the colours from the dominant fabric somewhere in the room." This means ensuring that every colour present in your initial fabric appears on at least one other item (whether patterned or solid) in the space, creating a cohesive look.
Creating Cohesion Through Colour
The core principle here is colour harmony. By deriving your pattern choices from the colour palette of a single primary fabric, you ensure that despite mixing different patterns, the overall scheme feels coordinated and intentional.
This method simplifies pattern mixing by providing a clear framework based on colour relationships, making it easier to achieve a balanced and visually appealing interior.
