Get Patterns Down Pat: Working With Patterned Furniture

A little judiciously placed pattern can make all the difference in a room. Whether it’s a chair, an ottoman or a beautifully inlaid chest, patterned furniture can add a spark that totally transforms a space.

Pattern doesn’t have to come from upholstery, although oftentimes it does. A racy ottoman in a bold print could be a great starting point. Once you get accustomed to using pattern, you’ll feel confident enough to explore long-term pieces, like cabinetry and maybe even doors upholstered in zebra hide!

Here are some ideas to inspire your use of pattern in accent furniture.

Take a walk on the wild side. Sometimes all a room needs is one striking statement. Here a zebra print covering a very long bench does the trick. It’s the hinge that unites two seating areas.


A brash move. An unusual blue suzani pattern covers this open-arm chair, making it look like a piece of Chinese porcelain brightening a sideboard.


The more, the merrier. A different black and white pattern on every side chair? Shocking! This works because the scale of the print is the same throughout. Throw in a black chair with a red seat for good measure, and you have a fabulous collection and a beautiful room.


Pattern punch. A game table with oversize contemporary club chairs provides the color and pattern in this scheme. The pattern might be subdued (plaid), but the color choice isn’t (persimmon and orange) in this otherwise neutral room.


Count to three. Decorating in triplicate is an old Renaissance trick. In this neutral room, the red and white cut velvet adds a dash of visual spice and moves the eye around the room, from ottoman to lampshade to pillows and back again.


Brown and blue and comfy all over. A pair of carved ottomans covered in blue leopard velvet adds a dash of pattern and color to this basically brown room.


Accent-uate the positive. Only the outer parts of the host and hostess chairs are upholstered with a pattern in this dining room. It’s just the right touch for this formal space.


Cabinet of curiosity. This beautifully inlaid cabinet of mother-of-pearl and ebony adds an exotic air to this room. It stands on its own with supporting flashes of red.


Turnabout is fair play. Patterned cotton lends an unusual twist to this otherwise sedate Le Corbusier lounge chair. The upholstery is a very bold and very modern approach to a classic contemporary design.


Ancient wonder. A carved blood-red cabinet can’t help but be the focal point in this very exotic, very black room. The intricate carving provides all the pattern required.


Making an entrance. It’s not just furniture that accents a room. Take a look at these doors! Padded and upholstered with a zebra-print fabric, they make every entrance a grand one.


Movable feasts. These elongated ottomans have almost the only pattern and color in this room. Ottomans are the perfect prescription for a design deficit, as you can place them wherever the pattern is needed.


Mad for plaid. Oversize counter stools in an oversize plaid provide all the pattern this white-on-white kitchen needs.


Nail it. The nailheads stand out against the stark white background on this cabinet, producing a striking — yet subtle — pattern.


Special secret. This bright white breakfast room conceals a secret. The high-back chairs shelter their pattern, revealing it only on the inside.

More: 17 Gorgeous Ways to Work In a Patterned Area Rug

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