GUEST BLOGGER: EMILY A. CLARK

Hi guys, so far my week is going great! And hopefully yours is too! Today, I would like for you to welcome Emily A. Clark as my next guest. She is one of my new "friends" here in blogland! I love her sense of style and her way of mixing things up. So without further adieu, I present to you Emily!

First, I have to say that Lakeitha leaves some of my very favorite comments on my blog, and I think she has a beautiful personal style, so I of course, I was happy to fill in for her while she enjoys some time off.

The topic of my post is one that many of us strive to do, but sometimes just don't know where to start: layering and mixing patterns within a room. The good news is that in today's design world, almost anything goes. However, sometimes it's hard to be confident in your patten-mixing ability. Here are a few of my best tips:

1. Layering patterns is easy when you start with a neutral palette.

If you start with a neutral base (sofa, flooring, walls, etc.), you can layer almost any array of multiple patterns by using different throw pillows. And, of course, the great thing about pillows is that they can be changed easily as your tastes change. Notice in this image that while none of the accessories--pillows, curtains, accent chair, or even the green vases--may not necessarily "match," they all work in the room together when added to a soft neutral palette.

House Beautiful

2. Vary the scale of the patterns you are mixing.

It's not so much whether you can mix florals with stripes with plaids, etc. You can mix lots of different patterns as long as you vary the size of the patterns. For example, if you have a really bold rug with a strong pattern, choose upholstery that has a smaller scale pattern (a thin striped chair, for example). Lots of patterns in one room only become busy when they are all at the same or a similar scale.

Lots of patterns done right:

House Beautiful

3. Throw an animal print into the mix to serve as a "neutral."

Although some people may think an animal print is a rather bold statement, it's actually a great way to bring in another pattern that works as a neutral. Almost any room can handle a small dose of the wild, and they are in naturally warm, neutral colors.

Country Living

Good luck mixing things up in your home! And, Lakeitha, thanks for having me!

Thank you, Emily! I'm telling you, it's so nice to be able to take some time off and learn something in the process! I think I'm ready to tackle painting rooms in my house and mixing patterns in a professional way;-)

Do any of you feel confident when you mix patterns? Do you like plaids and polka dots? Or, do you prefer the stripe with stripe look?!