The Design Files - Yes, You Can Mix Stripes and Prints.

Ciao Bloggisti,I know matching curtains, wallpaper, and even bed covers are having a moment.  I think this style can look lovely in a Manhattan Classic Six bedroom or a home in the English countryside.  In general though, I'm not a fan of what interior designers/decorators refer to, in very technical terms, as matchy-matchy.So far we've used a lot of neutrals and solid colors in our projects. I'm trying to experiment more when it comes to patterns, especially mixing them.  It's tricky as there's a fine line between Granny Chic and a room that looks dated.One of my clients has a beautiful striped sofa.  The current decorative pillows are a solid blue that she would like to change.  Surprising myself, I started to pull prints.  Her home has classic lines and a few antiques mixed with modern art.  The solid pillows on the couch completely disappeared.Something like this from Designer's Guild would make the pillows stand out more without overwhelming the sofas:I LOVE stripes.  They're a great pattern to mix with as they are simple and graphic.  It may seem odd to place a stripe in a room that has floral prints, but try it.  The graphic lines of the stripes will help ground the space.How to make sure the room doesn't look like a jumbled mess?  Color, color, color.   This bedroom by Mark D. Sikes is a perfect example.The stripes on the chairs go beautifully with the floral print on the duvet.  Imagine a floral pattern on the chairs.  I believe it would be way too much.There's a lot going on in this space but the color palette (and the scale of the furniture) makes it relaxing.Below, a bold approach from Steven Gambrel.  Gorgeous.  Chocolate brown and blue from Sheila Bridges.  Notice how the print in the curtains is the same color as the stripe.  Beautiful.  Solid curtains  with this type of sofa would've made the space too formal for a young single woman.Clearly, I have the color blue on my mind.