Pattern Rules in This Fun North Carolina Renovation

A home is more than just a house; it holds our memories. So when North Carolina couple, TaLaya Brown and Kerrick Faulkner inherited the house that once belonged to Faulkner’s grandparents, it was a chance to draw from the past while looking ahead to the future. With rescue dog Honey in tow for good luck, the two set out to make a new home out of an old house.

For Kerrick, this home is filled with memories. As a child, when it was a second home for him, and this entryway would be the first thing he’d see coming into the house and the last thing he’d encounter as he left. Now, with TaLaya’s help, the couple has brought new life to the small space. Light gray paint gives the entry an airy and relaxing feel, while a floating credenza adds storage as well as style. The entryway also serves as the starting point for the home’s love affair with African fabrics and patterns, a story told several times throughout the house. The drapes and rug are both designed in the Malian bogolanfini or mud cloth tradition, while the planter displays an ikat pattern similar to those seen in Indonesia or along the Ivory Coast.

In the bedroom, the home's neutral color palette gets a dramatic and moody twist with a black feature wall. The juxtaposition of black wall and white bedspread is mirrored in the patterned rug on the floor. Mud cloth patterned textiles, woven baskets and the repeated use of color, pattern and texture throughout lends cohesion and a unique, personal flair to this home.

Why bother with a rug when the warm tone of the hardwood floors are one of the homeowners' favorite features? The pattern and color mix continues with a funky woven basket to hold a plant and a graphic credenza with a stunning diamond pattern engraved into the wood.