4 Steps to Stress Free Pattern Mixing

There comes a point, somewhere around mid-winter, when you realize that your toes have had enough of the cold hard floor. It’s time to get a new rug for that particular room. It’s a task you’ve been avoiding — it’s understandable. After all, you have that quilt that just doesn’t go with anything, or your couch has that crazy floral pattern. And you really don’t want to make your home look like a carnival tent.

It’s worth noting, though, that a well placed rug can really pull a room together. It’s time to stop putting it off. Picking a rug and matching patterns doesn’t have to be difficult. Keep these tips in mind when you go shopping for your new rug, and you’ll have a brand-new room in no time.

 1) Don’t Skimp
When you do choose your rug, don’t balk at the pricing. Quality is extremely important and in the world of rugs, price and quality go hand in hand. One way you can save money is by shopping at a larger (big box) store like NW Rugs instead of going directly to a designer’s website or boutique, where prices will, more than likely, be at a premium. [FYI: NW Rugs price matches! so you are sure to get the best price.]

2) Match Elements
You might already have a hodge-podge room and a loud rug will make it look like it has completely gone awry. Unless, that is you, do it the smart way. Pick a main theme that repeats in your room already. You might have a certain color that repeats in a few places. Make that the central motif and pick a rug that will pull those similar items together.

3) Scale Matters
Most likely, you already have something patterned in your room, such as a couch or maybe drapes, or a comforter. Even if the furniture is in solid colors, you might have patterned throw pillows. The point is that you already have a bunch of different patterns going on and they’re all in different sizes.

One thing you can do to control the chaos is separate the patterns by size and layer them up. Make sure the rug sports the biggest pattern, then the couch or comforter can have a medium-sized pattern and whatever details you have lying about should be finely patterned. This makes the room look more cohesive.

4) What if You’re Plain Vanilla? The most tried and true way of making sure everything matches is by keeping everything the same. White furniture and white drapes? Pick a white rug and the room looks done.

And while sometimes this look is elegant and refined, if not done properly the result is rather boring.

If your first instinct is to keep everything the same, you should break out of your comfort zone and try something radical. A homogeneous room is the perfect opportunity to invest in a loud, interesting rug. It’s the ideal environment for it because there is nothing else to compete with it. Try massive patterns and bright colors.

These simple tips should help you take the stress out of picking patterns. Take the plunge and enjoy a brand-new looking room. 

Guest Blogger: Adrienne Erin is a blogger who writes about everything from furniture to social media. She loves patterns and has had some great (and some not so great) experiences mixing them with outlet furniture in her home. Follow her on Twitter to read more of her work:  @adrienneerin.