How to Mix Patterns Like the Pros

Sir Mix A Lot is in Da House!

Dandylion Designs "Fandango" with Casadeco "Moire" 

Combining prints brings excitement to a room—but how do you make it work? Set small patterns against large ones, limit your palette, and include one big solid (on sofa, floor, or wall) in the scene.

Kit Kemp Haymarket Hotel

Try starting out with 3 varying scaled patterns. Try a large floral, one medium geometric and one small classic pattern or stripe to work with. 

bhg.com

Kit Kemp, design director of the Firmdale Hotel group in London, is a renowned master of mixing colors and patterns. She suggests to begin with selecting a large-scale print with several colors , then build off the colours from within this. Make sure to counter big, bold patterns with areas of solid color or neutrals.

Kit Kemp Number Sixteen

Freshhome.com

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Tennis, anyone?

Wimbledon White

(blog written but never posted..duh! Better late than never...)

Strawberries, Cream, Pimms, and anyone for tennis? Yes, that’s right Wimbledon is right around the corner and this means white is the colour of the month.

Wimbledon means white. White on white on white, with possibly a very small hint of colour, maybe a trim on a trainer or a hairband. I think the official rules state that no more than 1cm of coloured trim is allowed. The more white the better when it comes to this tournament.

What about all white in your home?

Uhmm… well, Mr Dandylion mantra’s is more along the lines of Iris Apfel’s “More is more, and less is a bore.” However, all white interiors can look clean, modern, crisp, and have an air of mystery about it. After all, it is a blank canvas. The colour of perfection.

White is very versatile.

“A monochrome palette creates an unassuming space, where the subtleties of form and shadow can steal the focus.” --Homelife

cocolapinedesign.com

mywhiteobsession.com

archdaily.com

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My love of Pink!

Jem and the Holograms, Tarina Tarantino, Betsey Johnson, Elsa Sciaparelli, Sophia Webster and, of course Barbie... these are my shocking pink heroes!

Pink has traditionally been thought of as a feminine colour, but I find it be very empowering and versatile. 

In color psychology, pink is a sign of hope, it inspires warm and comforting feelings, and the deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it shows. Combining pink with other darker colors such as dark blue, dark green, black or gray, adds strength and sophistication to this colour.

In honor of my favourite colour, I thought I would give some helpful tips on using this oh so roarsome colour in your interior scheme.

Decorating with hot, bold, bright pink can be tricky, but think small and powerful, (like me!) and you can’t go wrong.

When used right, hot pink is an amazing accent colour and can bring life in to your interior.

Try adding a piece of pink furniture to your room to make a statement, or painting an accent wall, or if you don’t want to make such a big commitment cushions, vases, or even a chandelier in bright pink will add energy to an otherwise calm room.

Try using bright pink with softer colours, like a pale pink, soft grey, or taupe for a more subtle approach or alternately use with darker colours for a more dramatic statement.

One of my favourite ways to use hot pink is to mix with gold for a sophisticated yet fun look.

Let me know how you get on, and please share your tips and secrets for decorating with bold and bright colours.