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Giveaway: $100 to L&S Fabrics (also some thoughts on pattern mixing)

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 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!
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108 thoughts on “Giveaway: $100 to L&S Fabrics (also some thoughts on pattern mixing)

  1. I love that pink and orange striped fabric above — I would probably buy a few yards of that and make some new valances for my living room!

  2. What a great giveaway! I really liked all of your pattern mixes – definitely things I myself would not have put together!

  3. I tend to go for three patterns when doing pillows but as a whole room, I like to stick to no more than 5-7: pillows (2-3), accent chair (1), drapes (1), carpet (1) and either throw/wallpaper/lampshade in a pattern.

    I also like to think of patterns with a lot of background (like a trellis) as a neutral since not a ton of pattern will show on smaller pieces.

    In any case, I have my fingers crossed I win the L&S give away!

  4. Mixing fabrics was one of my favorite assignments in design school. I love the element of surprise with mixing!
    Liked L&S, wonderful site.

  5. I'm getting better and better with using pattern and color, but would love to get some custom drapes with a contrasting panel! Lovely giveaway!

  6. I'm still learning how to mix patterns, but in the few times I've done it, I got compliments…which gives me some hope!

    Posted on Lewis and Sheron Textile Co. facebook wall thanking them for the giveaway.

    Elena V

    wildorchad@rambler.ru

  7. I'm totally experimenting right now with how much pattern I can handle. I love pattern, and with a toddler and a baby I want everything to have pattern to hide all of the little spills… but I don't want everything to look crazy either.

  8. As a quilt designer, I love pattern (and color and texture). Love applying similar principles to home dec. I'm thinking the "busy ikat" in your first set might be a good addition to my new bedroom fabrication.

  9. I'm currently working on mixing fabrics for our living room. This has been helpful.

    I've ordered fabrics from L&S in the past and I've always been happy. Now, I like L&S on Facebok too!

  10. That was awesome! Just what I needed! Thanks for all the detail, Jenny. You are a design genius. I will be using several of these.

    And I just liked L&S. Fingers crossed!!

  11. I'm still working on mixing patterns, so I enjoyed this article. I think I would purchase some fabric for valances in my kitchen. Thanks!

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  13. I'm just starting the process of redoing my master. I want to do an upholstered diy headboard. This would make a great start to my new room!

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  15. Thanks for introducing me to L&S textiles– nothing like incredible prints and quality fabric to inspire a creative project! As someone who has wandered for hours around Britex fabrics in SF in a dazed overload, your selections were a blessing :) I think you've given me a chance to do justice to the purple Afghani rug I just found as my first foray into design in my first grown-up apartment! Thanks, Jenny!

  16. Totally smitten with the citrus/green/blue living room combo. I have been playing around with that combination but I had been really chicken about it until now. So, does anyone want to trade a brown leather sofa for a tufted brown velvet one?

  17. Totally smitten with the citrus/green/blue living room combo. I have been playing around with that combination but I had been really chicken about it until now. So, does anyone want to trade a brown leather sofa for a tufted brown velvet one?

  18. I have absolutely not been able to go figure out how to mix patterns. Love your selections.

    I liked them on FB. Thanks for the opportunity! Even if I don't win, I definitely plan on purchasing some fabric.

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