I love a good pattern, there, I said it… really pulled it out of me. But patterns are so much fun! You can discover so much about yourself depending on whether or not you like patterns, or even better what type of pattern you like. In my family, I was stripes and my sister was polka dots, and there was no changing – ever. To this day, I don’t think I own anything with polka dots on it, except maybe the inside of a coat (Amy, I couldn’t change it, promise!).
In this blog, I will be talking to you about the more practical side of patterns, not so much the emotional side or the association aspect – like having a particular colour as a child (I was a blue/green child, whereas my sister was a pink/purple child… makes a lot of sense really). I will talk you through the various ways you can use patterns in your home, and of course, show you where you can buy them!
Showcasing Patterns in Your Home
It’s not as daunting as it may sound. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in neutrals and accent colours, that we can forget the thing that ties a room together – a pattern. It doesn’t have to be extremely bold if that’s not your cup of tea. It can be something neutral with a geometric pattern embossed onto it! But if you are looking for bold, go bold. The best decision I ever made was to bring my crocheted blanket with me to college, for two reasons.
1. It was a conversation starter because it was so patterned and cool.
2. It kept me warm in my cold student house.
‘But how do I do that?’ I hear you bellow, fear not friend, I will tell you. The first thing you need to do when thinking about patterns is what kind of approach you want to take; are you looking for the colourful, textured pattern? Or maybe you want something with your 3 main room colours, or even the neutral with a faint pattern? This is the question you need to ask yourself first.
Next, you should consider what you want to be patterned – are you looking for a patterned scatter cushion or a rug that can tie the room together? Why not both! Artwork also fits in here, if you like artwork with lots of colours, try match it to your soft furnishings to being a sense of cohesion.
Patterned Scattered Cushions
Scatter, or throw cushions are the easiest way to bring some pattern into your life (and your space, of course). Here, you will find a comprehensive list of patterned cushions that we have for you to choose from, we truly have something for everyone!
- Neutral patterned cushions: Let’s think about the Bernacoghill in copper. The back-side of the cushion has a muted copper, but the front is a beautiful neutral, orange toned tweed-looking pattern. Super understated, but extremely elegant! The Ada cushion has a similar vibe, but with a navy blue tone throughout – more geometric than tweed, but very tightly grouped together.
- 3-toned cushions: This is my personal favourite as you can bring the colours in your space together effortlessly, it looks very intentional even if it was an after thought! The cushion that comes to mind is the Mid Century Geo which comes in blue and the Mid Century Cushion in clay red.
- Mutli-toned cushions: Maybe you’re more into the colourful cushions, but not in your face colourful. Cushions like the Brogan, the Townscape, and the Austin Geo!
Patterned Rugs
We have a wide range of rugs, and definitely something for everyone. Whether you want something with stripes to contrast that polka dot cushion you can’t part with, or something more muted and neutral but still visually interesting, we’ve got you covered. Again, here is a comprehensive list for you to explore!
- Neutral embossed patterned rugs: The Alabaster rugs are a staple in Michael Murphy’s because they come in three neutral shades; charcoal, cream and rust (also available in a variety of sizes, aren’t you lucky). We’ve also got the Alfie, Asti and Beckett rugs for you to browse!
- Neutral fun-patterned rugs: Yes, the embossed rugs are gorgeous, but if you want something a bit more fun while still playing with neutrals, why not check out these rugs: the Mona, Lewis, Leno or the Luca! You might find your brand new rug here…
- Colourful patterned rugs: (my personal favourites). Who doesn’t love a statement rug? I am truly obsessed with colourful rugs, they’re not only amazing to look at but I think it says a lot about a person depending on how colourful they are willing to go with their home – even if it is just a rug! Now, here’s a nice little list for you to explore if you like colour/want to bring more colour into your home: the Gio, Koby, Savannah and the Naia. Enjoy 🙂
I hope you will find this blog useful when considering patterns, just remember the rule of thumb for styling (particularly cushions): one block colour, one textured and one patterned!