1. Add an element of surprise. At first glance, this living room minds its manners, from the classic palette to the blue and white china in the hutch. Then your eye zooms to the pair of chairs by the fireplace. Casual fabrics in indigo and olive cloak the seats and the backs, providing a wonderful contrast to the ladylike frames and turning the classic composition on its ear. If you looked at swatches of both patterns side by side, you'd never imagine them getting along, and that's precisely why they work so well in this space. Teamed up, they give off a level of energy that a single pattern never could.