10 ways to mix pattern and prints in interiors

Mixing patterns and prints, in interiors, is an easy way to create a unique and interesting scheme, be that in the living room, kitchen, bedroom, or elsewhere. However, it requires a little more design know-how that other decor ideas, if you're going to pull the look off successfully.

If you’ve previously retreated to plains rather than risk an unhappy result, be inspired by advice and inspiration for ways to mix pattern and prints in interiors.

Looking for more design ideas? Check out our design hub page.

1. Create a visual link with an accent shade

If you're working with a space that has high ceilings, consider papering up to the dado rail with one printed wallpaper, then using a second above it.

In this instance, picking up an accent shade from the leaf and floral designed paper creates a colour link that allows the pair to sit happily together on one wall, while the all-over print’s textural appearance ensures it doesn’t fight with the pictorial design below. 

Love a bold wallpaper? Find more statement wallpaper design ideas in our guide.

2. Be inspired by Moroccan interiors

Moroccan interiors mix patterns with ease, and introducing the typical designs can be a quick route to room scheming success. 

Stick to graphic motifs to get the look, but go for those featuring the ornate detail of decorative tiles – as on this wallpaper – as well as bolder and simpler versions to avoid making the overall effect too busy. Picking a range of jewel colours will also help give the room the right vibe.

3. Give traditional pattern a contemporary edge

Don't be afraid of pairing a  traditional patterned paper with something more contemporary if you love the idea of incorporating more than one interiors style into your scheme. 

This romantic birds and blossom wallpaper – inspired by a 20th century piece – is right at home alongside a chevron rug in bold black and white. Painting the doors and skirting in a standout yellow shade only enhances the eclectic feel of the space.

4. Contrast angles and curves

Opting for prints with sinuous lines alongside those with stricter geometry can soften a scheme to suit a room that’s made for relaxing.

Pick designs that are equally bold in scale so the contrast is clear, and add in plains to give the eye somewhere to rest.

5. Mix florals and graphic prints

Teaming beautiful blooms and geometric motifs needn’t be a puzzle. Just look for patterns featuring the same range of colours and they’ll work together a treat.

You can find your own design combinations or – even easier – look within an individual collection from a fabric house, as the different designs within it are made to look good together.

6. Smarten up with a linear print

Give a traditional living room a tailored edge with linear pattern. Top-to-toe stripes could look as stuffy as a three-piece suit, bowler hat and rolled umbrella, so mix them with variations like the two sizes of chevron in this scheme, and show off dense colour against less solid hues. 

Find more inspiration with these traditional living room design ideas.

7. Get creative with scale

Sized-up pattern can turn a wall into a work of art, but featuring a design that’s this bold doesn’t necessarily mean going plain elsewhere in the room. 

Here, the rug features a blossom trail print of medium scale, while a sofa cushion features a small-scale print, so that each motif is perfectly sized to the dimensions of the piece on which it’s featured. 

Like this? Browse our pick of the best mural design ideas for more inspiration.

8. Go bold with botanical prints

Foliage and botanical prints are bang on trend and will co-habit as comfortably in a room scheme as the real blooms and vegetation do in the Amazon. 

Give bolder colourways and medium to large sized designs a plain backdrop for a more traditional finish, or choose a graphic clash for a contemporary look. 

Like this idea? Find more beautiful botanical wallpapers in our design guide.

9. Choose a neutral colour scheme

Want a room scheme that’s understated but still full of decorative detail? Put together pattern in neutral shades and gentle tints of colour.

This room’s grey and yellow give the eye plenty to enjoy, but the overall effect is wonderfully calming.

10. Mix traditional prints with antique artworks 

Wallpapers inspired by traditional prints or printing techniques make a stylish and unique addition to a living room or bedroom. This can be further enhanced by working antique – or antique inspired – artworks into the space. 

Find this Wisteria Wallpaper at Farrow and Ball and try your local antiques shop or flea market for similar prints. 

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