I am a long-time supporter of L&S Fabrics. I love that I can check in with their site often and they always have something new for me! The lovely team at L&S is giving away $100 to one of you readers who Likes their Facebook page this week (contest ends Sunday March 18 at midnight).
I thought I’d share some of my favorites from their site. I get asked a lot how to put together patterns. I hate to take the fun out of it, but in case you are the type of person that freezes up when they are mixing patterns, here’s my very generic formula: one big pattern, one small, one stripe, one geometric, one floral/organic, plus or minus one animal print. But, rules are made to be broken, so just have fun with it and stick with what really speaks to you.
Let’s play-decorate!
I see these prints in a teenager’s bedroom. Busy ikat on the headboard, check ikat on the drapes, b/w polkadot on a chair and the radio print on a big bolster on the bed (pink piping!)…
These fabrics would be gorgeous in a living room. Maybe a jute rug and a chocolate velvet sofa? The citrusy suzani floral would be pillows on the sofa. Robin’s egg blue walls would play off the blue damask for curtains. Slipper chairs in the chevron, an ottoman in the greek key…
Such a pretty combo for a master bedroom, right? Crate and Barrel’s Collette bed, the floral as three big euro shams. The small greenish print as a big bolster or lumbar. The gray geometric would be so pretty on a foot of the bed bench or a sitting chair. And the navy stripe would be amazing as balloon shades or big, full curtains…
I like putting some sophisticated colors in a nursery. How about the deep red geometric on a mis-matched ottoman in front of a neutral slipcovered glider? The walls upholstered in the mini-stripe (it’s outdoor fabric! You could hose that stuff down!). A window seat cushion in the wide stripe and a roman shade with black out lining for the floral (with lavender pom-pom trim?)…
If you want to use a colorful rug or if you’re painting a lot of the casegoods pieces in a room, try using mostly neutrals in your fabrics to get some balance. What about a turquoise overdyed persian rug in this dining room? A white marble oval Saarinen table with four wooden frame Louis style chairs upholstered in the big black/white ikat? On the other side of the table, an armless settee upholstered in small gray/lavender ikat. Billowy curtains in the embroidered taupe chain pattern. Plum lacquer on a vintage sideboard with persimmon lamps with brass shades. The palm print on a pair of black painted arm chairs, flanking the window…
Phew. That was fun! All fabrics available from L&S
Do you have any tips for mixing patterns? How fearless are you with your fabrics? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section. But don’t forget, if you want to enter the give away, click on over and ‘like’ the L&S Facebook page. They’d love to hear how you’d spend the $100 gift card!
I have not mastered the art of mixing patterns…this was great.
Thank you for this post Jenny! I'm always looking to learn how to mix fabrics and patterns so this was perfect.
Just liked L&S. I live in Atlanta and love to just grab a cup of coffee and browse – like a kid in a candy store!
LOVE the master bedroom and nursery ideas you shared – I'm pretty good at pattern mixing when it comes to my clothes, but somehow a little scared when it comes to decor. Will just have to keep at it, I guess!
How funny! My post tomorrow is all about mixing patterns and my formula. Mine is much simpler/less professional but it works for me. Love all these picks!
oh how this would be perfect to win for our new house! love mixing patterns & fabrics
Loving the master bedroom selections! (well, all the rooms really but it's our master I'm focuse on these days! Are you still planning to offer a bench tutorial?
I need some new curtains….this would be exactly what I need to get this project going!
I love the prints! They're to die for!
I LOVE L&S fabrics- introduced by a you a while back;) I bought this fabulous cream background- turquoise sea creature print that I used to upholster a seat for a fabulous bamboo bench (found at a little beach side antique shop) I get compliments all the time- SUCH a great fabric!!
and I LOVE pattern mixing!
I would use my $100 gift card on a fanric for my headboard, maybe that purple ikat. So pretty. Thanks Jenny for the thoughts on mixing patterns. I surely need the help :)
Love your post…I generally get a little nervous with more than 3 printed fabrics in a room, so this is a great formula! I gave you a little shout out on omgeetheblog.com today, so take a look if you get a minute
I would love some fabric to reupholster a little bench. Love L & S!
I got some great L&S fabric for curtains – a retro orange floral pattern with grays,greens, yellows. I used it as a base for the living colors but threw in some navy zebra stripe (Jenny's remnants!) for chairs; neutral grey on walls and carpet. I go with what I like, mixing geometric and floral and solids … but pause between projects to let it sit and not get too crazy.
I love mixing patterns! It creates so much visual interest in a room when done correctly, thanks for the inspiration!
Is there another way to be entered into the contest for those of us not on Facebook?
Just spent a nice, long while perusing fabrics, and am feeling inspired to whip the ugly out of this house! Thanks for the tips, I love the way you always make me feel like I can do this stuff.
This was such a huge help in mixing print fabrics!
I rarely mix patterns… but maybe I could give it a try if I win this contest! I am dying for some new curtains for my bedroom.
Thanks!!
I have just gotten more fearless with mixing patterns! I am loving the ones you came up with!
This was so helpful, Jenny! I love an un-decorated look, and I feel your formula works for that! The L&S fabrics look great!
Great combinations! Love your pattern formula, too. It elaborates on mine, and I need to get out of my box!!!
Enjoy your day.
Nancy
Powellbrower.com
These fabrics are so great! I've been wanting to make some fancy curtains for our large doorwall. I love mixing patterns, although it's usually unintentional. I like certain colors and patterns, I add them to my home, and there you have it – a very eclectic design aesthetic.
Fantastic! And forget about the teenager's bedroom, I think those fabrics are great! And you now also have me wanting a chocolate velvet sofa.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I've been struggling to put together some fabrics for pillows for my living room. Your living room fabrics in the citrusy and blue are perfect. Exactly the look I wanted but just couldn't find. Funny but I have a brownish velvet couch. Ordering now!
Jennifer
I love browsing the L&S site. They have such great stuff! Their actual store is really fun too. Thanks for the great giveaway (I "liked" on FB.)!
Liked their page! Already had some fabrics just waiting in checkout ;)
I love L&S! Already a fan on facebook. And this post was so helpful. Thanks! I'm starting slowly to mix patterns but I'm loving it the more I do.
That was fun! And thank you for sharing all these cool fabrics with us. I love the mixing of patterns, but my husband is more into the solid color, neutral type thing. may be I can convince him with a chair or bench done in a fun fabric. :)
I liked L&S on facebook.
I wish I knew how to mix patterns!
That was fun! And thank you for sharing all these cool fabrics with us. I love the mixing of patterns, but my husband is more into the solid color, neutral type thing. may be I can convince him with a chair or bench done in a fun fabric. :)
I am crazy about their fabrics…I spend waaaaaaay too much time browsing their site! I love all your mix of patterns…I usually mix quite a bit too, but mostly bc I accumulate things over time. You are one the of the designers I adore who gives me confidence to just have fun and not follow 'rules' — that's why your spaces are so interesting and gorgeous!
I need to learn more about mixing fabrics and patterns. You are such an inspiration! Keep it up!
I need to learn more about mixing fabrics and patterns. You are such an inspiration! Keep it up!
Thank you for doing the combos! I love the second one for my brown sofa.
I love mixing patterns. I'm trying to incorporate a lot more color into the patterns, instead of just neutrals. It's a challenge because our last house was very neutral.
great giveaway! I first heard of L&S through this blog! I also love your pattern mixing, especially the big floral with all those stripes- one of my favorite combos
Thanks for leading me to L&S… Great selection, very inspiring! I'm exhausted from picturing all those gorgeous rooms you described, you sure do have a knack, with so few words I built every one from the ground up right along with you! I'd live in that house!!!
Thanks for pairing these up together and giving ideas for how to use them. Pattern mixing is so tricky. I always find it's easy to find 2 or maybe three that work together but the fourth fabric, the one that brings everything together is always the hardest part. It seems so much less intimidating with your inspiration.
Fantastic pairings, love your eye!
And, L and S, where have you been my entire life? I think I love you!
Fantastic pairings, love your eye!
And, L and S, where have you been my entire life? I think I love you!
just liked L&S on Facebook. I bought some beautiful bird print fabric from them a few months ago and I absolutely love it. :)
Thank you so much for this fabric source. I'm ordering samples right now.
FANTASTIC FABRIC SOURCE! Living in Hawaii you cannot buy any fabrics locally that are essentially not either Japanese design or Hawaiian designs. Online is the only way I can get fabrics and I'm so delighted to see Lewis & Sheron seem like a curated store.
Great post with wonderful inspirational ideas! I love that site! My next big adventure is to make a pillow the size of the one that you designed for Joanna's bedroom!
Just liked! This would be great for my new apartment.
I already like them, but I'll post here how much I love L&S and their endless fabrics!
I just liked them on FB. I do okay with pattern mixing, but it sometimes takes some trial and error.
Beautiful fabric combinations. Thanks for the introduction, too. :)
R
I already like L&S on facebook!
I'm struggling to coordinate patterns in our living room/dining room mix. Just can't quite seem to wrap my head around it yet. But this re-do is 6 month away, so I have time! Thanks for your posts!
I am so not an ikat person, but I am dying for that dining room right now! You may have sucked me in with the turquoise overdyed persian rug and the plum lacquer sideboard…
Given my lack of dining room in my tiny Boston apartment, it will remain an imaginary dining room…at least for now.