Dear Jean and Richard, Are there any rules for mixing or matching fabrics of different colors and patterns into one room? –Bette Lee, Hendersonville

Jean: Hi Bette Lee. The answer is Yes, but there is no precise formula. As always, the approach is much the same as with any artistic endeavor, such as balance and composition. But often the biggest challenge of combining upholstery, pillows, drapery, carpets, tapestries, or any woven materials is that they all offer more than just color, pattern, or texture. They each offer all three!

Richard: What Jean is trying to say is that there are infinitely more opportunities to mess up.

Jean: I didn’t think of it that way, Mr. Fast, but you’re right. If you’re not careful, mixing fabrics can get… well, mixed up. This is an area that’s somewhat intuitive, and difficult to teach. But we can share some ways of thinking about it at least.

Richard: And a good place to start is finding the right color family—think of it as your paint palette. It doesn’t mean everything has to match, but it needs to go together. Maybe you’ve heard about or seen that “seasonal” color guide to fashions. Like, Jean looks good in a summer palette. It looks good with her skin tone and, uh, naturally blonde hair.

Jean: Thank you, Richard. I’d like to think I look good all year long. By the way, what season is black? Oh, never mind…I think your advice is on target.

Richard: Hey, you told me I look good in black. As for patterns, I would limit the number to three or four—no more than five. And again they don’t have to match, but the highlight in one might match the background in another, and the patterns should vary in the level of complexity and scale from fabric to fabric.

Jean: I would offer that good design is circular—colors, patterns, and even textures should move around the room and often be repeated. But—and here’s the intuition thing again—you might want to create a dramatic effect by including a surprise color or an extra large-scale pattern in the mix. Richard and I seem to work well together despite the lack of texture on his head and my sparkly wardrobe.

Richard: My head has texture! Think of it as silk. Which reminds me that we should advise Bette Lee to mix up the textures—not just smooth vs. slubby, but maybe quilted silks or linens with cut velvets and chenilles.

Jean: Here’s another tip—save the “surprise” color for something like a pillow that can be moved around or—if the surprise is less than pleasant—eliminated. And unless you feel very confident about that large scale pattern, don’t use it on the largest expanse of fabric because it could dwarf the other upholstered elements.

Richard: One thing we always like to remind people about, and this is no exception—work out the color palette (and in this case, the patterns and textures, too) in advance. Unless they’re already there, don’t start by having some custom made drapes installed and then go shopping for upholstery fabrics. If everything needs to work together, and it does, then you should always have the complete design figured out before you begin, including the fabric combinations. Good luck!