It’s time to pattern up!

The votes are in and the samples prove it, pattern is HUGE! I’m not just talking popular but gigantic! Big, bold, cannot-be-denied pattern is incredibly popular right now and they are living large. From wallpaper to carpet and upholstery, pattern is coming on strong so if you are afraid of pattern you should give yourself some retail therapy and look at the new patterns emerging in home décor.

A necessary element in interior design is scale or proportion. Scale is used to help the design plan with properly sized furniture, windows and even interior decorative accents. It is how to successfully mix several patterns in one room – by using different sizes of patterns you can create a harmonious blend of patterns even if they are not related. Smaller patterns are recessive while large-scale patterns are intrusive and command all the attention. The large-scale patterns that are emerging in home décor are demanding to be the center of your rooms universe and they should be treated that way.

If you are choosing a bold pattern it should usually be all by itself or paired with a few very recessive prints.

I find that most people’s homes are seriously lacking in pattern, they often have wonderful colours and materials but pattern is left out of most designs.

I often wonder if it is fear or inexperience on the part of the decorator or homeowner which keeps them from choosing pattern. Pattern can be such a wonderful addition to a room and even one statement (if it is bold enough) can put the perfect finishing touch on a design plan. It takes a brave heart to put a wild wallpaper or leopard print carpet into a room but the results are breathtaking!

You will be the talk of your peer group as you show off your newly-designed room fresh with bold French toile wallpaper!

Traditional uses of bold patterns are drapery, accent chairs, area carpets and art. Unconventional uses can be sofas, wall-to-wall carpeting, wall paper and wall tile. It is definitely thinking outside the box to use tile to introduce bold pattern to your space but the results are dazzling.

Just think about all the wonderful hotels you have visited (recently Vegas for me) and all the ways they use a wild combination of pattern to create a fantasy inspired interior.

Taking those principles and ideas and watering them down slightly will work well in our homes to bring the newest trend to our décor.

Don’t be afraid of this! Pick a pattern you love (for me its stripes or Burberry plaid….I love stripes) and go for it.

Be brave and adorn your home with bold, beautiful and bodacious pattern, let 2013 be the year you break out of your shell and become the fashion leader in your neighbourhood.

Make all the neighbours stare through your windows while they walk their pups at night. Catch them all gawking through your window as you leave your drapes open to show off your feature walls and daring colours!

Be the one they peep on, just make sure you are fully dressed so that your homes décor is the thing being gazed at!

Kim Lewis is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre.