How do you tell if your fabrics work together? I don’t typically prescribe to the tradition of use a solid, use a stripe, a check, a floral, etc. I look for synergy between patterns, texture and color. If you lay your fabrics on your rug, you know if you have it.
You’ll often hear artists, designers and architects say that the right answer presents itself. All you have to do is listen. (It’s not about hearing voices).
In the photo below, look at the patterns and colors as they sit on the rug. It feels right. Nothing jumps out at you. All the colors work, and there’s harmony. The whole becomes greater than that parts. Each element enhances the whole.
What can I say? You just know it when you see it. After a while, my clients are also able to see what I see and feel what I feel, even if it sounds silly in the beginning.
(Click to see larger image.)