èèText: Candice Botha and Sarah Stuart-Reckling. Photographs: Sally Chanc and Henrique Wilding. Article from the
It might seem like a big commitment to use pattern on a large feature like a wall or sofa, but timeless prints can be just as easy to update as plains – simply add a few contemporary designs to the mix!
Graphic Accents
“Florals often combine several colours which can be picked up as accents to create completely different schemes making them ideal as a base,” says Durban interior decorator Tinks Robinson of Peppergreen Interiors, who chose a classic floral wallpaper. Harlequin s Amelie Marbree from Black Fabrics, for this living room. “While timeless, florals can also be very traditional,” Tinks adds. “To modernise this space I’ve added a trellis pattern, some geometric accents and an abstract floral in an intense pink.”
Tinks’s tips for combining prints.
1. Create contrast
Whether in your choice of accent colours or patterns, contrast is the key to creating interest. Here, Tinks offset the softness of the floral motifs on the wallpaper and rug with a contrasting clean-lined, contemporary geometric arrow print, Black Fabrics’ Scion Wabi Sabi Dhurrie. The floral is Hertex Fabrics’ Paradise Grande Rose in Saffron.
2. Choose similar colourways
“The secret to combining different patterns but still maintaining a harmonious feel is to stick to a unified colour palette,” says Tinks. The green and lilac of this trellis design, Clarke & Clarke’s Layla, echoes the hues in the wallpaper.
3. Look for updated classics
This vibrant cerise cushion in Scion Wabi Sabi Hana adds punch and personality to the scheme. “The pattern is still a floral, which is in keeping with the motifs on the wallpaper and rug, but its abstract nature gives it a contemporary twist.”
Blissful Blues
“Pattern can rake a space from ordinary to extraordinary,” says decorator Leigh Wishart, who did just that by mixing various prints in this Cape Town bedroom. “A classic, large-scale damask wallpaper like this one, Anna French St Germaince from St Leger Viney, will create a focal point in the room and is the perfect foundation on which to layer other patterns,” she says. Note how the floral scatter on the bed, in Hertex Fabrics’ Sakura Green Tea, combines both blue and green and so acts as a bridging fabric tying all the different colours together.
Leigh’s tips for combining prints
1. Create a visual break
To layer several patterns together without creating a chaotic effect, use a plain colour to form a visual break between them as Leigh’s done here with her choice of a white headboard. The cushions are in fabrics from Hertex Fabrics and Mavromac.
2. Look beyond fabrics
“You can also bring in pattern with lampshades, rugs and accessories, like these ceramics with a geometric cut-out design from Block & Chisel Interiors,” notes Leigh.
3. Mix prints of different sizes
“When mixing prints, it’s important to vary the scale of each pattern to create interest. Use over-sized patterns for larger areas, like the floor or walls. This geometric rug from Hertex Fabrics adds depth and balances the large-scale damask wallpaper.”
Sources
Black Fabrics blackfabrics.co.za Block & Chisel Interiors blockandchisel.co.za Hertex Fabrics hertex.co.za Leigh Wishart Interiors 082 498 0231 Mavromac mavromac.co.za Peppergreen Interiors peppergreeninteriors.co.za St Leger & Viney stleger.co.za
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