I've been meaning to share an excerpt I wrote from a collaborative post that was featured on The Everygirl!! I hope some of my tips can help you in your future pillow mixing and matching endeavors!! Here we go!
The first rule of mixing pattern is…there are no rules! But for those of us that weren’t blessed with the natural ability to do so, here are a few tips I swear by to get started.
Determine your color palette: This is where all of the fun starts because color is the powerhouse of this operation. Take time to decide what colors you want to draw from in your room. I find it easiest to start with an area rug and draw up to three colors from it to incorporate in your pillows. If your rug is neutral, take any other colors you have in your room into account, as you’ll want to play off of those.
A mix of pattern, sizes and color, oh my!
Mix pattern scale: Pulling from your colors, you’ll want to mix up different pattern scales and print variety. Typically, you’ll want to have an equal variety of pattern scale, including small, medium, and large patterns. Mix in your medium- and small-scaled patterns around your large-scaled patterns so that it’s visually cohesive. And don’t forget your pattern variety, which means you’ll want a blend of geometric prints, organic prints, and if it starts to feel too crazy, add in some solids!
Mix texture: By varying the levels of texture, anywhere from a furry pillow on one end of the spectrum to a woven cotton (like mudcloth), you can easily add another element of interest.
Mix size: For sizing, keep in mind that pillows will look smaller than their listed size, since they lose a few inches to depth, once filled. Because of this, I always recommend sizing up rather than down. Don’t forget to mix up your pillow sizes and shapes, because a pillow mix master like yourself doesn’t want to be around total squares!
Play with it: If you’re unable to have samples on hand, put all of the product photos you’re considering together, and look at them right next to what you’re trying to coordinate them with (whether it’s a rug, furniture, bedding, etc). Keep in mind, your eye won’t lie—If you place everything together, chances are, the pieces that don’t jive will jump out at you first! Keep mixing it up until it feels right; if you get stuck, sleep on it and give it a second look! The more you practice, the easier it will become, I (pinky) promise.
xx, Monica