By Brad Mee
Pattern play is enjoying a moment, but it is nothing new. In the hands of a talented pro, this approach to design is always in style. Take interior designer Jason Wilde’s interior of a spectacular Heber home (How Swede It Is) we featured in 2013. It is as compelling and as relevant now as it was four years ago. And there’s much to learn from Wilde’s work.
Lessons learned: The magic is in the mix. Wilde anchored the family room with a custom honeycomb-patterned rug and then added a mix of plaid, striped, floral and herringbone upholstery fabrics to create a collected look. A plain, solid fabric dresses the large sectional and prevents the room’s assorted patterns from being overwhelming. “It’s a fun, whimsical look,” the designer says.
Lessons learned: Color unifies assorted patterns. Stripes, oversized florals, dots and wide borders successfully featured in a single space? You bet. The trick, in part, is using common colors to unite the mix. Shades of beige, red and blue link the punchy patterns and prevent a chaotic look.
Lessons learned: Think big. While many of us timidly rely on small pillows and accessories to deliver pattern to our spaces, Wilde often goes the opposite direction. In the home’s bunk room, he chose two large lounge chairs to showcase the space’s most powerful punch of pattern. They deliver big statements of color and oversized pattern.
Lessons learned: Big rooms deserve big statements. “The large room needed this oversized detail,” says Wilde of the great room’s wide embroidered border adorning the room’s draperies. We agree. We also love how the colorfully patterned treatment runs down the edge and along the bottom of each panel. That’s a lot of eye-catching impact.
Love this look? Take a look at the original feature, and let us know what pattern-punched treatments are your faves. Â
