How to Mix Patterns with Roman Blinds: Pattern Mixing Designer Tips

 

Patterns do for a space what spices do for a dish. But just like an amateur culinarian is dubious about the amount of spice that should be tossed in, you may love a mix of patterns but worry about going overboard. If you are shopping for patterned roman blinds at The White Window today, this blog is for you. Our designers address your legitimate concerns and share their top tips on picking and mixing patterns when dressing a room with patterned and printed custom roman blinds.

Blinds occupy a space of prime importance in any room, as they hang at eye level, greeting you face to face. So, your patterned blind enjoys a vantage position from where it does not have to push too hard to capture attention. But that very aspect necessitates that your choice of pattern should be made very thoughtfully. And the rest of the patterns in the space must complement it without overwhelming the room visually. While this may sound intimidating, it is not hard to achieve. You neither need a magical boon nor an exceptional gift to make this happen; all you need is a few tried-and-tested designer tips and tricks. So, here are those ‘secrets’  that seasoned decorators have been employing forever to pick patterned roman blinds that sync with the space and add the right amount of ‘spice’ - 

Picking a Suitable Patterned Roman Blind

 

Patterned roman blinds add life and dynamism to any space with their interplay of colours and shapes. They have an artful way of introducing character, grandeur and playfulness to your home, and also carry great potential to become the focal point of the room. But, if you want your patterned roman blinds to do that in a non-invasive manner while furthering your aesthetic vision, you need to pick the pattern with forethought. Here are the top factors to be considered when choosing a patterned roman blind for any room.

 Scale Correctly

 

Pattern accumulates power as it maxes out on the scale. A grand-sized motif, no matter what colour or shape, tends to pull attention compellingly. This is a great idea when you are looking to create a focal point with your roman shade. Also, it is a great way to dress a large window as a large pattern can add more to its grandeur. And, in a large room, overscaled patterns stand the highest chance of garnering interest whereas small patterns may go unnoticed.

But, large-scale patterns are not ideal in all settings. They will do a tremendous disservice to a small room by overwhelming it and a pattern-loaded space may end up looking cluttered. Similarly, on a small window blind, large-scale prints may lack the space to be featured in full and also get cut abruptly at the edges. On all these occasions, small and medium-scale patterns are better-suited to garner interest without competing with other patterns or decor accessories that are intended to be the focal points. Besides, they look proportionate for the dimensions they are catering to - be it a small window or a space-compromised room.

 

TIP IN A PIC: Let the aesthetic goal, the size of the room and the dimensions of the window inform the size of the motif. Go for large-scale prints to create a focal point, provided the room is large and the window big enough to host it. Select small and medium-size patterns when you want to add visual interest without being too compelling.

 Choose Colours Wisely

 

Patterns are attention-grabbers, and their palette, along with scale, will have a say on how far they can go with that agenda. So, besides voicing the overall palette, consider whether you want your patterned blind to be the star of the show and choose colours that will forward your vision accordingly.

Bold colours and stark contrasts are an assured recipe for a focal point, as seen in our yellow-red damask roman blind Tea Parlour or aqua blue striped Aegean Sea. If you are looking for an eye magnet, look out for such strong colours that can dominate the scene. 

On the contrary, if you want your patterned roman blind to join the choir rather than lead it, go for a quieter, more subdued palette. Take for example the brown & white paisley blind Nantes that pairs two neutral hues or the striped blind Crowd Work that features a muted version of olive green.

 

TIP IN A PIC: The colours of the patterns, alongside other factors, make a patterned roman blind more compelling or visually quieter. So, choose the palette based on your vision.

 Voice the Decor Style

 

The choice of pattern must reflect the decor style of the home and the vibe of the room in question. Because, patterns have a personality and speak of the era and geographical location in which they came into vogue. 

So, a damask roman blind finds its place in a traditional formal room, a ditsy print blind in a country home, a buffalo plaid blind in a farmhouse and a modern geometric print blind in a contemporary urban home. An elaborate gilded ogee print blind is out of place in a casual modern space, and similarly, a sleek chevron blind does not rhyme with the embellishments and motifs of the traditional era. 

However, that said, there are decor styles where a mix of patterns with varied personalities coexist merrily, such as bohemian, eclectic, maximalist, transitional, art deco and so on. If you are following one of these, choose a patterned blind that syncs with the rest of the patterns in the room in an organic way. 

 

TIP IN A PIC: Pattern, among other things, is the mouthpiece of your decor style. So, first, define the direction of your decor style and then choose a pattern that rhymes with your aesthetic vision. 

 Add Lining

 

When the sun is high and the strong sunlight is piercing through the blinds, the exquisite colours and details of the pattern may look slightly washed out. If you can prevent this penetration of light during bright daylight hours, the rich details of your patterns will be seen in their full vibrance and energy all day long. That’s why, we recommend adding a blackout lining for your patterned roman blinds. It blocks the sunlight, thereby ensuring that the colours and definition of the motifs remain undistorted even during bright daylight hours.      

To learn more about our lining options, refer to our blog on Lining Options for Roman Blinds from The White Window. 

 

TIP IN A PIC: Order your roman blinds with blackout lining so that the patterns don’t look faded during the sunny hours of the day.

Mastering the Art of Mixing Patterns

 

Mixing patterns and colors in a room makes it look collected, curated and put together over a considerable period of time rather than hastily assembled after a shopping spree in a hyperstore. In addition, this interplay of patterns makes a home burst with detail, colour and personality. But, for pattern play to end on such a pleasant note, it has to be done right. And so, the choice of your patterned roman blind cannot be done in a vacuum; it has to be done with sufficient consideration on how the motifs of your roman blinds will mingle with the mix of patterns already present in the room. And to that end, here are a few tips to keep in mind to make sure that your patterned roman blind syncs smoothly with the rest of the decor:

 Bring Contrast of Shapes

 

For several patterns to coexist harmoniously in one space, they must each bring something unique to the table. So, while mixing patterns, make them counterbalance each other by incorporating a mix of curvy silhouettes and straight edges. So, if you have many straight-lined patterns in the room already, let your roman blind feature a curvy motif such as a floral or paisley. Or, if you have too many round-edged prints in the space, let your blinds bring in the simplistic beauty of stripes, plaids, and other streamlined geometric designs. In short, facilitate a balanced use of curvy and straight shapes when you shop patterned blinds, to make your mix of patterns look delightful.

 Ensure Diversity of Scale

 

Patterns of the same scale compete for attention rather than complementing each other. If there are many patterns in a room of the same scale, it will end up looking chaotic. So, when introducing a patterned blind to a room, bring a variation of scale, not uniformity. The goal is to make a beautiful combination of large, medium and small-sized patterns, ideally featuring only one oversized ‘hero’ motif in the mix. The blind can either serve as this ‘hero’ pattern - the singular large-scale print in the room. Or, it can join the bandwagon of medium and small-scale patterns that bring pops of colour and visual interest in small doses all across the room.

 Keep the Palette Tight and Cohesive

 

While the shape, personality and sizes of the patterns must vary, they should broadly agree on the palette. Your colour scheme must be the golden thread that binds all the patterns together so that they narrate a single story. By that, we don’t mean that the mix of patterns have to be matchy-matchy, but that they should adhere to a tight palette. This cohesiveness makes them read to the eye as links of a chain rather than as a meaningless mishmash of shapes and colours. So, let your roman blind converse with the rest of the patterns through a well-coordinated palette. 

 Exercise Restraint 

 

Patterns are eye-engaging and can easily overwhelm a space. But the threshold for each client is different - some enjoy a plethora, others like a judicious engagement. Let your preference guide you as to how many patterns you’d ideally like in your room and if a patterned roman blind fits that count. If you have trouble deciding how to mix patterns without overwhelming the decor, hold to the magic number of three that designers have been advising for a good reason. Where one pattern alone can concentrate the focus on one item of the room and two look better but lack the scope for variety, a mix of three is perfect to feature varying scales and personalities to come together and complement each other.

Spice Up Your Decor with a Curated Mix of Patterns

 

Patterned roman blinds can instantly elevate the most sterile room, and when they join a mix of patterns in a well-considered way, the level is further raised by several notches. The room becomes a vibrant display of colours and designs, teeming with personality and eclectic flavours. However, it cannot be stressed enough that harmony, restraint and balance are key to achieving this feat in an impressively elegant manner. And that, dear decor enthusiast, will bring the best out of you as a designer, calling for your imagination, creativity and a lot of love. If you are excited to manifest this vision of a home bursting with punchy mix of patterns and joyful colours, start now. For a perfect fit with the windows, shop for patterned roman blinds at The White Window today keeping the expert design advice in this blog as your guideline and take the pattern play of your home to the next level!