Pattern Play: Subtle Southwest Style

Here's how I used my pattern mixing rules of thumb to come up with this palette:

1. Pick a starting print. I started with the stripe. It gave me a great way to pull my colors in, and the texture reminded me of a tapestry or a poncho.

2. Build the color palette. With this stripe, I was able to pull in terra cotta, teal, browns and beige. Great colors to give us our Southwestern feel.

3. Vary the style. Before, I pointed out that I didn't actually use a typical Southwestern print. Instead, I used an Ikat which isn't traditionally Southwestern but rather it gives me a similar feel. I then mixed in a tweed pattern that added a masculine touch and an oval patterned chenille that read more modern to me. The traditional faux silk diamond pattern added yet another layer of texture by using twine to layout the shape.

4. Vary the size of the pattern. The Ikat is my large pattern, the stripe, diamond and tweed are my medium patterns and the oval chenille is my small pattern.

Tip: You can mix in more medium-sized patterns than you can small and large.

Here's a closer look at the mix of textures going on. Next, more on the individual fabrics I used to get this look.