5 Tips for Mixing Bed Linen Patterns for a Dreamy Eclectic Vibe
There’s something quite appealing about the look of a bed made with mismatched linen. It’s cosy and inviting, unpretentious and creative and…. very overwhelming for many to achieve! How can such a carefree look be so difficult? Well, we suspect it has something to do with an ingrained idea that a bed must be neat, pressed, coordinated and made with precision for a life well-lived. Absolutely not, we’re here to tell you. Not only will your bedroom feel full of life and joy, but it will also in no way impede your ability to get things done in an orderly fashion. That is an entirely unrelated problem!
Here are our 5 tips for mixing and matching patterns to achieve the happiest combination for your bedroom.
1. Define your Palette
While the mixed linen look that’s dominating your social feed may appear effortless, there’s a considered process behind it. Balance is still important when mixing any sort of patterns and an easy way to do this is through a defined palette. Do you know what colours you would like in your bedroom? Is there something to tie it back to already (such as a piece of upholstered furniture or artwork)? Finding a common colour thread throughout your patterns is a useful tool in creating a perfect pattern mix, rather than a hot mess combination.
2. Euro Cushion Hack
Our wonderful friends and Sage and Clare are the masters of pattern and suggest matching one euro cushion pattern to your quilt cover. This subtle repetition creates a visual link between the linens while still having a contrast (your sheets and standard pillowcase separating the repeated patterns). It’s a formula that can give confidence to those who are feeling a bit nervous to step away from the more formal rules of bed-making.
3. Scale is your Friend
Combining patterns successfully relies on a contrast of the style and scale. By style, we mean floral, geometric, stripe and gingham etc. etc. Contrasting scale and style does a few things. One, it allows each pattern to be seen individually rather than become a big blur of patterns. Secondly, it creates a more serendipitous rather than contrived look, which is a vibe we can all lean into! Try mixing a small floral print with a larger organic pattern and a medium stripe, check or gingham as a start.
4. Block it Out
Sometimes, even the most beautiful pattern clashes need some visual space to breathe. A flat, singular colour, such as a plain cushion or throw will do this. The break in movement supports the patterns, creating space around them and providing a place for the eye to rest (momentarily!). Sage and Clare believe you need at least 3 different patterns as well as a block colour thrown in the mix for the perfect amount of contrast to play with.
5. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Playing with various patterns and styles might be out of your comfort zone in a decorative sense and this is OK! To achieve this look you’re meant to have fun and it might require you to be a little bit brave. Start with finding some inspiration and create a mood board. Peek in your linen closet (or your parents/ grandparents!) and you may even find some gems there to build upon. You might need to move things around a little and play, these things are rarely perfect on the first go. There’s no right or wrong way to mix patterns but there is one rule- don’t take it too seriously!
