From Closets to Curtains
It’s Week 4 of the One Room Challenge, which puts us at the halfway mark. My room is still unpainted, there’s still a ton of stuff in there that needs to be removed, and I still haven’t purchased a key piece for the room because I have nowhere to put it yet and would need to perform a juggling act to actually pick it up. Somehow, I’m still feeling good about things.
I think this is where not finishing my Spring ORC space is actually helping me. Do I think it’s possible to finish this bedroom on time? Yes. Am I bending over backward stressing myself out to make sure that it does? No. This ORC community is so supportive, and my Spring experience was so overwhelmingly positive that it has taken a bit of the edge off for me. I didn’t consider all of the weekend activities my family loves in the fall when I signed on, and I’m realizing that it’s OK to work hard for a deadline and also not sacrifice our favorite things during our favorite season to make it happen. After all, I’m the client here.
So while I don’t have any painting progress to share with you all this week, I’m going to talk about one of my favorite things to coordinate for spaces – textiles!
I have to admit, I’m a bit new to having fun with textiles in rooms. In the past, I paid attention to color and texture and sheen, but stuck to mostly solids and very basic patterns. Then, I had an epiphany: I’m a major pattern mixer in my wardrobe. I wear florals with animal prints with stripes with geometrics, and never gave it a second thought. One day last year, while agonizing over picking throw pillows that weren’t horrible or a million dollars, I looked down at what I was wearing and realized that I had been limiting my search unnecessarily. Throw pillows (and curtains, and blankets) are like clothes! If I would wear it, then I can cozy up with it. And I’ve been free ever since!
Here are some examples of outfits that I’d wear. While I don’t consider myself a fashion expert (or an ironer), I do have a lot of fun with patterns. I find that I feel bolder and more confident when I’m wearing something a bit fun or different. Don’t get me wrong, I wear basics too. They give me more of a blend-into-the-background vibe (which is sometimes exactly what I need). That said, I have found that I start to feel very “blah” if I wear too many solids for too many days in a row. I’ve learned that “basics” for me is more of a black and white graphic print than a pair of jeans.
Playing with grids at multiple scales with my comforter and pillowcases
A rule of thumb when dealing with pattern mixing is to look at scale. To keep your patterns from fighting for dominance, pair patterns of varying scales. If you pair a small scale stripe with with a small scale floral, it can look busy and your patterns almost vibrate against one another. Make it a small stripe and a large floral, and they live in harmony. Add an extra large geometric in the mix, and they all still have their place happily next to each other. It works in rooms like it works with clothes. Mix your scales and patterns, and things don’t have to exactly match to go together.
I know that my personal style is a bit bolder than the average wearer. If you’re looking to incorporate more of your personal style into your spaces, try looking to your own closet for inspiration! Does your idea of pattern look more like a neutral with delicate textural detailing? Seek those out in your curtains or throw pillows! Love a good chunky sweater? Look for a thick, chunky throw with a large weave as a large scale textural pattern. What colors do you love to wear? What details do you keep coming back to? Chances are you’ll love the way they look around you as much as you love the way they look on you. While this isn’t a hard-fast rule for me (I don’t think I have any hard-fast rules anymore), it can be a great place to start if you’re looking to layer in a bit more interest through texture and pattern in your spaces.
If you’re feeling nervous about adding in pattern or texture, remember that home textiles are completely non-invasive! You won’t need to patch any walls or construct anything, and it can be a really gratifying way to have some fun with your spaces. What are your favorite patterns to wear? Do you use them at all in your home textiles? If not, what’s holding you back?
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