How to Mix Bold Patterns With Tips From Interior Designer Bari J. Ackerman

Conventional wisdom says you can't mix patterns when decorating your home, but we have good news: you absolutely can. Interior designer and author of Bloom Wild Bari J. Ackerman has a simple-to-follow equation to help anybody make daring design choices that combine florals, animal prints and funky geometrics.

You can create a mood board with photos and colors to help as you consider what colors and patterns you like. Move items around the board and play with the pieces. You may find something unexpected actually looks great when paired together.

Bari's book, Bloom Wild: a free spirited-guide to decorating with floral patterns, is an easy-to-follow guide to using floral prints around your home. Bari's design style, which she calls "curated maximalism," can be summed up in an easy-to-remember formula to keep in mind as you decorate your own maximalist home.

According to Bari, mixing patterns comes down to this: Contrast + Throughline = Pattern Mixing Success.