How to Pattern Mix with Fabrics

You can have that designer-quality look in your home if you can master the art of pattern mixing. It’s not very hard; just takes some practice and a knowledge of the principles. Like many aspects of design, the rule of 3 applies. You’ll want to choose 3 fabrics of varying scales. A large scale fabric has a pattern repeat of about 19"-27”. A medium scale fabric has a pattern repeat of 10"- 18”. And a small scale fabric has a pattern repeat of 1"-9”. Choose 3 fabrics: one large scale fabric, your next fabric should have a scale roughly half the size of the first fabric. And your third fabric should have a small scale. Either the second or third fabric can be a solid, but I suggest practicing with the three patterns until you get the hang of it. Use complementary colors, or varying shades of the same color (but that’s a topic for another ideabook!)