How to use patterns in a room?

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A room can benefit instantly from some patterned furnishing, as patterns add oodles of beauty and interest when used in the right way. I find patterns irresistible, they come in such an array of gorgeousness - stripes, floral, geometric, ikat, animal prints and so on and so forth. Yet, despite being individually striking, they are notoriously difficult to combine. How many of you have found yourself impulsively buying a bolt of beautiful pattern in a shop but flummoxed once you reach home and realize you have no clue how to use it in your living room. 

Although it seems very complicated, it really isn't. I have put together a few basic rules of colour and pattern mixing. So next time you come home with that bolt of pretty fabric, you can use my five easy rules to help you achieve this look effortlessly.

1. Same Colour: The easiest way to work patterns is to have both patterned pieces and solid pieces in the same colour or compatible colours. This can keep the patterns from clashing with each other. This rule can work specially well in small rooms as a diverse mix of patterns and prints can make it look larger. You can put stripes with spots—and add much-needed dimension—as long as you stick to one colour.

2. Contrasting Colours: Another simple way to work with patterns is to use contrasting colours. This works because contrasting colours are visually appealing and give a coordinated look even if you have used a variety of patterns. Just remember to stick to a simple palette with two or maximum three colours.

3. Similar style of patterns: Try to pick all your small patterns from the same print family. It can be any style of your choice - floral, geometric, Islamic or tribal, but sticking to one group is an easy way to give a neat coordinated look to the room. 

4. Only one big pattern: This is an important rule. After the simplicity of the first three rules, you may want to get adventurous with patterns. And rightly so, using bold prints confidently adds a whole layer of complexity to a room. But don't use more than one big pattern as it may bring down your carefully crafted scheme. The danger with using too many different patterns is the room might come across as cluttered. Avoid this by combining several small prints with one big pattern, this will act as the focus and give definition to the room. 

5. When in doubt, pick Black and White: So you have filled your room with pretty patterns and they look really nice together. But you are having trouble picking the one big pattern to bring it all together. Trust me you are not alone,  choosing the big pattern is often the toughest decision for me as well. The smaller ones usually merge together, it is the big one which stands out and is noticed. So if you are having trouble with this, think no further and just go with black and white. It matches with everything and will instantly anchor the room by providing a perfect backdrop. 

Images courtesy absolutely beautiful things, coastal living, furbish, gypsy purple home, little green notebook, susan connor, red online, Jones Owen, The grammar of ornament (1910) and material girl.

Room 39

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If you haven’t checked out Room39 already, I would recommend you head there as soon as you’ve read this post. Founded in 2010 by designer Petra Green, it is rapidly becoming one of the most popular interiors shop on the web. Petra has made sure that its chock full of refreshing designs from her in-house team as well as other artists. In her own words, she chooses products that “marry ancient craft techniques with modern technology to produce the brand's signature look: tradition with a twist." 

The products on display on the website fit this description to the tee. Especially the new screen-printed cotton 'Knit Knit' bed linen, with a graphic pattern inspired by crocheted textures. The stunning geometric print looks similar to Crochet stitches and reminds me of my grandma’s lace curtains. A range of zesty bubblegum colors - Ink, Pink, Banana, Tangerine and Sky, complement the traditional look. Even small details like packaging have not been forgotten: the bed linen comes packed in little drawstring bags with neon tags. 

To go along with the Knit Knit range is the beautiful feathery 'BelaBela 1∞' Light. Hand assembled in Slovenia, these delicately textured lights are entirely recyclable and so hard wearing they can even be machine-washed. I'm thinking about hanging one of these dreamy lights over my bedside table. 

Another highlight is the 'Technicolour' cushion collection, made of contrasting panels; these have been featured on The Sunday Times Home supplement and Elle Decor. Inspired by the colour-blocking trend they look amazing lined up in a row, the perfect dose of colour to jazz up any old dull sofa.

All images via Room 39.

Yastik by Rifat Ozbek

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Rifat Ozbek graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1974 and had founded his own fashion brand by 1984. His label became very successful in Turkey by the end of the nineties. That is when he decided to express his creativity through cushions. Why cushions you might wonder? He says “The cushion is very important. It is a luxury, a thing of beauty, it might have a memory – someone might have given it; someone might have left it; or it might have come with an armchair.”

His first store Yastik (which means cushion in Turkish) opened in Bodrum and Istanbul five years ago. Now with their shop on 8, Holland Street in London, Ozbek and his partner Erdal Karaman are wowing everyone with their individually handcrafted, limited production cushions. Each cushion is like a work of art with a fusion of sumptuous materials, vibrant colours and delicate embroidery. Even the store looks like an art gallery with stark white shelves lined with cushions.

So what exactly is the secret of these cushions?  The answer lies in how each cushion is designed.  Much thought is given to mixing and matching fabrics. Ozbek chooses from new and antique materials he has collected from his travels all over the world for years. Among these are Anatolian Brazilian flower pattern prints, striped English fabrics, Ottoman silks and African prints. Each cushion is sewn with great care and displays a high level of craftsmanship. Ozbek also adds fragrant dried lavender to the down inside each pillow, so that each time you lean against one of them, you are hit with the fabulously soothing scent which also fills the store.

All images courtesy Yastik by Rifat Ozbek 

Design find: Bokja at the Mint Shop

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I visited the Mint Shop in London recently and one piece of furniture caught my eye above all others. The Bokja Bean sofa – upholstered in a patchwork of traditional textiles is in one word - magnificent! I can assure you the photograph does no justice to it. Established in 2000 by Hoda Baroudi and Maria Hibri, the Bokja brand is a wonderfully eclectic mix of traditional textiles and vintage furniture. Their flagship boutique in Beirut sits in the heart of a historic neighborhood called Saifi district that has recently become a mecca for designers. You can view beautiful photographs of the store here.

The two ladies share a passion for textiles from the Levant and countries along the Silk Route including India. Their focus on sustainability is reflected in the use of found fabric pieces, which are used by traditonal craftsmen to upholster the furniture. Hoda and Maria think of themselves as modern day Scheherazade’s spinning tales through their furniture and believe in making each piece a unique collage of different time periods, lands and moments of people’s lives. These one of a kind pieces are breathtaking and can create an instant focal point for any room by adding a splash of bold colour, texture and pattern.

Hoda Baroudi and Maria Hibri of Bokja

The Bean sofa at the Mint shop

All images courtesy the Mint Shop and Bokja.

Modern Minimalistic meets the Handmade

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The Miller house designed by iconic architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, epitomizes the international Modernist aesthetic—with an open and flowing layout, flat roof and stone and glass walls. The house is considered to be one of the finest expressions of American modernism. In 2000, the Miller House became a National Historic Landmark. 

But despite all these incredible features, my favorite bits about the house are the bright textiles and objects from around the globe. These accents bring the interiors to life. They also remind me of similar houses in Delhi built in the 1950’s and 1960’s in local brick and concrete. These houses had the requisite Spartan spaces of demanded by fashionable modern architecture. However, Indians being Indians cannot live without colours. So, the owners softened the starkness with traditional Indian textiles, tribal rugs and wooden screens. In the process, they shaped a residential typology that was a favorite of educated intellectual Indians in that era.  

   

The House is owned by Indianapolis Museum of Art and is open to visitors. All images courtesy of IMA.

Celebrity Home: Grey's Anatomy Girl at Home

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This weekend I bring you the laidback home of Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo - a classic 1920’s Spanish-style home in the Hollywood Hills. For the decor, Ellen was inspired by all things Mediterranean, Morocco, Spain, Tuscany, and the South of France—not only for their design traditions but also for their lifestyles that celebrate casual entertaining, hearty food, and sun-kissed repose. As she puts it, “This house is perfect for our family, it’s all about swimming, eating, and hanging out with friends”.

In the dining room, lanterns are suspended above an antique Guatemalan farmhouse table from Dos Gallos; the mirror is by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, and the subway sign is vintage

The living room chairs were left by the previous owners, and a petrified-wood block from DAO Home serves as a side table.

In the den, the sectional and the ottoman, which are covered in a linen by C&C Milano and an Edelman leather, respectively, and the upholstered screens are all by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard; the woven-sea-grass stools are by ABC Carpet & Home.

In the master bedroom, the antique Egyptian wall hanging and 1950s West African pillows are from Hollywood at Home; the bed is topped with a cashmere blanket by Matteo and an Indian silk-and-wool throw, and the vintage lacquer campaign cabinets and ’60s Moroccan-style brass lamps are from Orange Furniture

The master bath features a tub and étagère by Waterworks, an antique Chinese bamboo ladder, and a zinc garden stool; the floor tiles are from Exquisite Surfaces 

The custom designed sofa is by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

All images via Elle Decor.