How To Cheer Up A Sad (or Boring Room) With Patterns

With the holidays coming up so soon, take a look around the rooms in your house. Are you bored with them or do they need some cheering up? Maybe it's time to add some excitement to the mix. You can achieve this by adding PATTERN to your walls, ceilings, fabrics, art, etc. to bring some life into your space! Patterns are everywhere and they're HOT... Here's some tips on finding them and how to incorporate them into your interior:


{ Graham & Brown's Diva/Beige } 



{ MDC Wallcovering's Kimora/Beige }

I Love these wallcovering by MDC, Graham & Brown and Schumacher 




Many wallcovering companies are offering exciting patterns that you can install on one accent wall or all of them if you are so inclined to do so.

{  Schumacher fabric and wallpaper, Imperial Trellis by Kelly Wearstler }

The Stark carpet can be bound and made into an area rug or installed wall to wall. A bound rug looks great if it's going over a nice wood or tile floor.


Patterns can be tone on tone or more neutral with a pattern; they don't have to be colorful, as the pattern makes a statement in itself and creates visual interest.

{ Stark patterned carpet, Hadera White/Bay Sand }

Shown below is a custom wallpaper that I designed to go along with the curves in the custom carpet installed on the client's stairs. The soft pastel pattern on the walls mirrored the more intense colored curves in the carpet. They're actually two separate photos; one to spotlight the wallcovering, the other to zoom in on the carpet. This is an example of a more permanent design statement {and a bold one at that! I design for my clients and work with their taste}









{ Custom wallpaper designed by Stephanie and hand painted by Designs By Michael  (Now Transitions Studio) Custom carpet designed by Stephanie and fabricated by Custom Carpet Artistry }

I'll have to showcase art in a future blog as it is so integral to a room and can be the "icing on the cake"; the artwork here is fabulous with the decor. And, of course, art is all about pattern. (In most cases)









{ Custom rug designed by Stephanie and fabricated by Custom Carpet Artistry }

{ An array of pillows; design and photo by Stephanie Nickolson }

{ An eclectic mix of pillows by Duralee }

I love mixing different fabrics in the way of pillows strewn across a chair or sofa. It's a creative way of making a statement and not following the norm of two matching pillows on either end of a sofa. It can tie a variety of colors into the room and highlight a piece of art or other focal point in the room.

Pattern  includes, but isn't limited to: stripes, damasks, florals, geometrics, flamestitch, herringbone, trellis, animal prints and much more. Be creative!

* FYGI { For your green information } : I can provide a list of wallpaper and paint companies who manufacturer eco-friendly products that do not outgas in the air, use vegetable dyes and no formaldehyde in their composition. I can also suggest no VOC adhesives for wallpapers and non-PVC (vinyl) alternatives for the walls.