Tips for Adding Color and Pattern to a Room from a Louisiana Native

Recently, New York-based designer Courtney McLeod principal of Right Meets Left Interior Design debuted her first showhouse design at the Junior League Detroit 2018 showhouse at the historic Charles T. Fisher Mansion, home of actor “The Good Doctor” actor Hill Harper sponsored by ASPIRE Design & Home Magazine. Courtney infused her ladies lounge with color, pattern, and texture with an Art Deco flair inspired by the Aux Abris ‘Garden of Eden’ wallpaper. The design is a pure expression of joyfully maximalist design and she has just the tips for creating this style in your own home.

Photography Credit John Neitzel/Digital Destinations

Tips for Adding Color and Pattern to a Room

1) When using a colorful, patterned wallpaper, a simple trick that works every time is to pull out the smallest color from the paper and use it for the largest pieces in the space. For example, I recently completed a room for the Junior League of Detroit charity show house and covered the walls in a very bold, floral wallpaper. I picked the smallest uses of color in the paper (saffron orange, watermelon pink, and grass green) and used those for the largest furnishings in the space (sofa, window shades, and area rug, respectively). This styling tip works to focus the eye on the subtleties in the allover pattern and creates a nicely cohesive design.

2) Color and pattern should create movement within a space. As the famous Diana Vreeland quote puts it, “the eye has to travel”. Be sure not to cluster your color and/or pattern in only one area of the room as this will create imbalance.

3) The ceiling, otherwise known as the fifth wall, is a wonderful place for a wash of color. I find pale blues, pale yellow, and pale melon tones to be very user friendly and they cast a flattering glow within the room.

4) There should be moments of relative quiet in any design scheme. If you decide to work with boldly colored and/or patterned upholstery, opt for a more neutral window treatment with a subtle trim. If the walls are especially bright, go for a natural texture like sisal or jute for the floor. And if your window treatments are the star (think sunflower yellow silk curtains), opt for a softer color on the wall to really let the windows shine.

5) The single best advice I can give is to follow your heart. Expect lots of doubters and naysayers questioning your choices. Ignore them. If lilac and grass green are colors that bring you particular joy, use them! I should know – my last apartment featured walls painted Benjamin Moore’s Iris Bliss and billowing grass green silk curtains. Everyone thought I was nuts, but it turned out beautifully and made me so happy!