Add Zest to Interiors

A good decorative scheme includes a sprinkling of plain colors, punched up with patterns, and, for those who can pull it off, a combination of several patterns. Toss them all together and a blah room becomes effervescent.

The first rule for getting good results from a combination of patterns is to have a color theme. Start with a single pattern and draw all others from the color palette into that first pattern.

Once you have the basic two or three colors selected, mixing patterns will become the next task. But take care: too many busy patterns, or those not compatible, will fatigue the eye and, therefore, not be a pleasant sight.

Patterns that almost always go well together are geometrics and florals. Stripes and plaids generally combine well, too, and if compatible, it can be attractive to use all three in one room: stripes, plaids and a floral. Remember, though, all the patterns must share a common color scheme.

Many fabric manufacturers make it easy--almost foolproof--to mix and match patterns by providing collections of already coordinated fabrics and even wallpapers with pre-selected mix-and-match patterns. It is not uncommon to see five or six pattern schemes prepared by design experts so that one or several motifs blend compatibly.

Besides pre-selecting pattern schemes, the buyer will also be able to choose from several color ways.

One important thing to keep in mind is the size of the room. A small-scale design in a large room will appear insignificant, yet that same design will work beautifully in a cozier-sized space. Flip the coin and the opposite is also true. Too big of a pattern will be overpowering in a tiny room, yet will hold its weight well in a room of large expanse.

And did you know that pattern has weight? Well, visually it does. Patterns carry more weight than solids. Avoid clumping all patterned pieces together because all the attention will then be heaved on one side of the room, off balancing the entire scene. Distributing solids and patterns smoothly throughout the room will provide an aesthetically pleasant look.

There are other, not-so-obvious patterns that should be addressed. Art, bookshelves, exposed wood chairs, wood-paneled walls and leggy tables all have their own patterns that can add or subtract from the entire scheme. They are less obvious than the upholstery covering them, at least as far as pattern is concerned, but they are there nonetheless, demanding your attention.

(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers, is president of Rosemary Sadez Friedmann Inc. in Naples, Fla.)