Pattern is the fastest way to give a room personality, and the fastest way to lose control of it. Combined well, several prints in one space read as collected. Combined carelessly, they read as noise.
Over twenty years of designing island houses, a method emerged. It is not complicated. It comes down to three decisions, made in order.
Vary the scale
Balancing smaller and larger prints lets several patterns share a room without fighting for attention. Pick one main pattern to be the showstopper, then supplement with smaller splashes of contrasting scale.
Ideally the hero pattern invites a number of other colours into the space. It adds colour and acts as a unifying element at the same time, which means every later decision has something to answer to.
Colour has major impact
Colour has the power to change our mood, so being intentional with it at home matters. When you are bringing bold colour into a room, start with a base palette and choose colours that complement it.
One rule does most of the work here. If two patterns are of similar scale, make sure they share a colour palette, so they harmonise instead of competing. Similar scale and unrelated colour is where rooms come apart.
Contrast is crucial
If everything in a room sits at the same saturation, nothing stands out. Contrast is what sets an element apart and pulls the eye to it.
The simplest way in is a more neutral base, then pops of colour and pattern on top. But contrast does not have to be colour. It can be the scale of a print, the difference between a curved and a straight-backed chair, or the texture of the things you put on a table.
Layered properly, the result is a room that feels lived in rather than decorated. Eclectic, a little bit undone, and a long way from a hodgepodge.