Spring Mix Up Creates Custom Look, Feel
Spring got off to a frigid start in the Northeast with freezing rain and snow by the following morning. It was unusual to see daffodils submerged in snow, but I for one am glad for the sunshine and warmer weather.
I’ve been waiting to show you a project I’ve been working on that, for me, is quintessentially spring - a mix-up of many patterns, colored in hot pinks and chartreuse green. Flowers and birds abound among geometrics and plaids. How can I mix lots of fabric prints and patterns together? Watch me!
First things first: You have to have a taste and tolerance for mixing things up. For some of us, this would never work; for others the more the better!
My client had a keen sense of what she wanted before she selected her fabrics. First, she honed her color choice; a key element to making the mix-up work. The patterns will work as long as the colors are in the same family.
Slipcovers are a great opportunity to try your hand at a mix-up that upholstering doesn’t afford. Here, we layout the fabrics and see how they’ll look together. We decided what’s too busy, what works better together and what may not work at all.
Check out these two examples of how we started to lay the patterns out for this chair and a half project. Below, fabric layout for the chair-and-a-half.
Picture one, the finished chair-and-a-half; picture two, the finished chair; and picture three, the chaise lounge BEFORE the layout. We'll add the finished photo once that project is complete. So make sure to look for it!
Above, fabric layout for the chair.
Above, fabric layout of chaise.
With the chaise, we’re adding even more patterns. As I mentioned earlier, my client LOVES lots of colors and patterns. She’s also a bit of a fabric collector. Mixing up is a great way to indulge a fabric fascination.
I’ve done other mix ups with a client who loves to collect vintage fabrics. Most of the time, you can only purchase small pieces of vintage fabrics. This technique allows you to use the small pieces to create something playful and unique.
One of the best things about mix-ups is that there are no rules. It’s as free flowing as abstract painting, and the results can be as stunning. So next time you think…I would love a statement piece for this room or wouldn’t that second-hand chair be great as a mix-up or you're looking for ways to use your stash of fabrics (come on, we know you have one), try a slipcover, in this mix-up technique.
