Why Mix & Match?!

Sep 24, 2019 | Designer Insider

By Designer Shannan Dorman

How many times have you thought – Can I mix patterns? Should all of the metal finishes be the same? Do these colors match? There’s a saying that needs to be remembered, “all things in moderation”, but don’t let that limit you either. When these questions arise, I typically refer to our natural surroundings. 

We live in an area that undergoes a pretty drastic change in seasons and colors, especially in the fall. Many come take hikes or road trips to take in the beauty of the changing leaves. If all the species of trees were Maple, and they all turned the exact same shade of orange, it would be pretty, but it wouldn’t create excitement enough to take a drive just to take in the color. 

The eye catching contrast of Birch trees in the forest could be your inspiration to combine the matte black faucet with the copper hardware that just caught your eye. 1

The numerous evergreens and deciduous tree species provide a breathtaking view. The difference between birch and oak tree trunks (texture), various leaf shapes, cones, and needles (pattern), and the hues of color that change from one tree to the next (color palette) together create landscapes that beg us to take it all in. Now imagine fall at Pictured Rocks with its cliffs, stone formations, waterfalls, on Lake Superior at sunset. Who would dare say the shades of the sunset don’t “go with” the colors of the leaves? That the jagged rocks, glistening water of the lake, and rough texture of leaves shouldn’t be combined? Imagine that there wasn’t a change in color, scale, or type of pattern from flower to flower, tree to tree, or stone to stone.

The eye catching contrast of Birch trees in the forest could be your inspiration to combine the matte black faucet with the copper hardware that just caught your eye.

All this being said, please don’t be nervous of mixing patterns that are of various sizes, creating depth by varying shades and values of color, or making all metal finishes the exact same. The eye catching contrast of Birch trees in the forest could be your inspiration to combine the matte black faucet with the copper hardware that just caught your eye. Again, all things in moderation, this is when you consult your designer.  🙂