Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Be Brave with Prints

Wild but Classy
Photo courtesy of thelennoxx.com
In the past, I have definitely taken some decorating risks.

Proof? Growing up I was very into purple... my room reflected that.  Purple curtains, bedding, sheets.  My mom and I went to town at Laura Ashley, and not only did I go purple, I mixed prints.  Purple pansy comforter, with purple gingham sheets, with a light lavender crocheted throw.  I loved that bedding, and lived with it until I was in college.  Yeahhhh...

Flash forward several more years, after moving to San Francisco after graduation from UCSB, my roommate and I decided it would be a grand idea to paint our living room orange.  After choosing a color, we decided a faux-finish would be fun.  And so we faux-finished the living room "burnt pumpkin" - OH YES WE DID!  It was glorious... my friend still lives there with her boyfriend, and our "living room" is now their dining room, and it's still orange.  Turns out, Home Depot brand paint does not fade quickly.

This brings me to present day - I've been making some "safer" choices (aka thinking my choices through a bit more), but my biggest fear is that our home will be boring.  I've seen so many overly tasteful homes where there is no flair... just beige everywhere... woof!  This is why I've decided to practice being brave with prints. A room does not have to be faux-finished a vibrant shade of orange to make a statement.  you can easily make a statement with a muted color palette, but you have to make a conscious effort to use patterns.

While an Ikat patterned chair does not seem especially practical... it is!  And why not?!  Take out the chevron love seat, and substitute in a gorgeous creme colored velvet sofa.  It still works!  As long as you love the pattern long enough to live with it for a few years, I say seize the day!  Go for it!

So here we go - I've exercised my mind, and put together an inspiration board based on patterns - lots of them.  I've chosen a muted palate of dove grey, taupe, yellow and gold (sounds strange, but I think it works).  Mixing in earthy touches balances the patterns, and somehow comes together for a eclectic yet classic look (I'm pretty sure that "classic eclectic" was not a category, but it is now).

Take a look:


The best part?  About 90% of everything on this board was from Target... oh yeah... design on a dime!  Here's the where to buy guide:

Miles of Light Photography - via Etsy 
Assorted ceramic vases - Target online



 *Each sold separately

Arched Floor Lamp 
Ikat Slipper Chair 
Unavailable Online 
Owl Lamp 
Trellis Rug 

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