Patterns and its myriad variants can prove daunting picks when mixing and matching toward creating a beautiful cushion vignette. Play it safe and the entire collection may flatten to a visual bore. In contrast, exuberantly piling in all that catches the eye usually ends in a messy pastiche that’s just too much of everything.
For a budding decorator to successfully pull elements together into a gorgeous cushionscape, he or she may do well to first remember these keywords: consistency and restraint.
Consistency requires keeping to a common denominator, such as colour or texture. Restraint necessitates incorporating less visually stimulating pieces, directing focus to more eye-riveting ones.
Reigning it In
Balance Pattern with Plain
You can go bold on pattern but allow a plain cushion or two to arrest the impact. Plain, solid colours act as foils, even if no common colour ties these together. To illustrate, our DARLEY cushion range stands out beautifully against our plain AGERY or GRANGE line.
Mix a Bold Pattern with a Subtle One
Subtle patterns can sometimes double as plain cushions in terms of restraint. Smaller patterns, tone-on-tone motifs, or simple stripes and blocks help tone down the impact of florid or bold designs while adding to the visual variety.
This is why our eye-catching cushion comes with suggestively quieter mid-stripe and wide-panel blocking complements in the collection.
Keeping a Consistent Profile
Colour as a Constant Value
A constant element ensures a unifying theme to an arrangement. Colour is an excellent tool to keep consistency and avoid a confusing, chaotic display. You may combine different patterns together as long as each includes the same hue.
A profusion of different floral patterns for instance may work if all carry sunny yellow in them. You can effortlessly layer on our new tropical-inspired, gold-embroidered motifs from our new collection with any in our EASTWOOD, HABANA, JERUK having the common colour element, white.
Cushions of various patterns and textures also create allure in a cushionscape, as long as the whole display adheres to a common palette scheme.
You can layer velvets, jute, cotton, fur, embroidered fabric, weaves, and the like if such stick to the same hue mixes such as black and natural, indigo and white, or a trio mix of navy, natural and white.
While falling in step with the constant colour rule, don’t waver on mixing different pillow sizes for added “oomph!”
Fabric Consistency
Aside from colour, fabric or texture can form the basis of your cushionscape. Just like a colour palette, decide on a single fabric or a dual or triple combination. You can create a luscious cushionscape of diverse patterns and colours with pillows holding to a crisp cotton-jute linen mix.
The common denominator, cotton and jute, will ensure coherence in the collection.
Themed Patterns Provide Homogeneity
Embroidered squares, triangles, and circles on individual cushions make a cohesive whole because they connote a theme: geometry. Sticking to a themed pattern and a consistent running colour commentary will shape a cohesive cushion collection, showing more decorative flair.
Decorating with patterns need not intimidate you from creating a uniquely inviting space. Remember the key values of restraint and consistency when starting out on this decorating endeavour.
Sometimes, there is no rhyme or reason behind a superlatively blended mix of patterns. Seemingly mismatched cushion prints can occasionally work as a whole in the hands of a discerning eye.
As you develop your styling acumen, you may find certain designs harmonizing with others despite a flimsy thread of a common denominator.
Once you’ve got the basic principles of decorating with patterned cushions down pat, you can throw out the formulas, challenge yourself, and double your fun. You’ll be styling cushionscapes like a pro in no time.