The Fresh Pattern Trend That Brings The Beauty Of The Outdoors Into Your Home

Are you looking to add a fresh, bold element to your home's interior design? Try your hand at mixing patterns you wouldn't normally think could coexist. While it feels risky to incorporate starkly different patterns, if done intentionally, it can infuse your home with a much-needed boost of spontaneity and whimsy. Leaning into multiple styles of fabrics and textures offers a chance to play with contrast, departing from the strict confines of perfect coordination. If you're feeling brave, why not bring the beauty of nature into your home by combining animal and botanical prints?

You're not alone if the thought of mixing and matching these two loud patterns makes you cringe. If you're not careful, you could unintentionally turn your living room into the Rainforest Cafe. However, there is an opportunity to meld these prints together in a way that reads sophisticated and refreshing. When well balanced, animal print can even appear more neutral, while botanicals add a bold element. Either way, this combo is the perfect way to embrace the outdoors and personalize your space with patterns found in nature.

If you want to embrace this pattern pairing trend, choose one main element and a supporting secondary one. Select your favored pattern first (whether animal or botanical print), and find staple pieces in this print to build your overall design around, such as furniture, area rugs, or wallpaper. Then, pick a complementary color for the other pattern to serve as an accent. Think throw pillows, wall art, or smaller furniture pieces. You can be as flashy or reserved as you prefer. Just be sure to balance your design with dainty prints and plain colors to give the eyes a place to rest.

To avoid verging into tacky territory, pick patterns that play nicely together in scale — for example, pairing a large, bold motif with a smaller, subtler pattern. You could lean on animal prints even minimalists are adding to their homes, such as faux cowhide or muted leopard, and pair them with a delicate floral or an eye-catching tropical pattern if you're feeling adventurous. Just remember that there should be a hierarchy of patterns, with one taking center stage and your secondary print playing support. Likewise, you should keep a keen eye on patterns that harmonize with your overall color palette. Once you find a working balance between your botanical and animal print, you'll have a refreshing interior that invokes the same sense of wonder you get when taking in the beauty of nature.