Fear Not: Add Patterns To Your Décor!

If you're tired of having a house full of solid colors, it's time to start using some colorful patterns in your décor.

Big, bold patterns are a big trend this season.

So don't be afraid to try out prints and patterns, design expert Susanna Salk urged on The Early Show Friday.

At Pottery Barn's flagship store in Manhattan, Salk offered tips and ideas on how to do it.

Interior decorating trends are taking a cue from fashion trends. Prints big or small are making a huge comeback, whether the patterns are super-large or super-bright in color.

If you're the type who's embraced the minimalist style or the solid-colored trend, patterns can be a refreshing change, really bringing life to a room.

But if you're not sure where to start, it can be a little scary. That's when Salk's advice comes in handy.

Some questions you might be pondering:

1. How much is too much?

According to Salk, you do have to balance. You might do super bold prints on your couch, but then your walls should have a softer, quieter feel. Or you can have a bed that is multi-layered with various printed sheets and shams, but then your rug shouldn't compete.

2. Should I choose one pattern and then use it throughout the room? Or can I mix it up?

Salk says mixing it up is fun, and you can do it, and not be hesitant to try it.

3. Can I use large patterns in a small room?

Placing patterns in a small room makes it look smaller, but also more interesting, Salk observes. If you're going to do it, stay away from patterns that are very busy, or have dark colors. Large rooms can hold more variations of patterns, but make the patterns correspond in some way across the space, or the room will appear choc-a-bloc.

Salk showed several swatches of prints/patterns that are making a big comeback. She also displayed examples of the prints that can now be found on towels, shower curtains, plates, etc.

Among the patterns/prints:

Chintz is calico cloth printed with flowers and other devices in different colors; originally from India.

It's practical, and can give that instant English country house look. It's both grand and warm, and can be used all year for any room.

Toile de Jouy is a type of decorating pattern consisting of a white or off-white background on which a repeated pattern is seen, depicting a fairly complex scene, generally with a pastoral theme, such as a couple having a picnic by a lake. The pattern portion consists of a single color, most often black, dark red or blue. Salk says she loves the look of one toile pattern, for example on wall paper, head board and sheets. Salk adds that she's a fan of using toile in a big way, particularly in the bedroom: Try the same pattern on the curtains, head board, sheets and wallpaper for a "wow" effect. It's strong, but never overpowers.

Stripes are a classic, and work beautifully both in wide-patterned stripes (best as an accent), or as thinner stripes; great for all-over a large piece of furniture. Don't be afraid to mix with floral patterns, especially if the stripes aren't overwhelming and the colors are symbiotic.

Salk says she's crazy about exotics, because they do just that — bring a flavor to a "safe room" and just zip things up all around! Great on carpets ( try a leopard sisal runner along your entrance stairs!), and on throws across florals.

Salk also showcased two rooms.

She says there's no easier place to incorporate this trend than at the dining room table. This way, if you don't love it, it's a lot easier to deal with; it's a great way to spruce up your everyday china, as well.

When you bring a pattern to your table, Salk suggests, be bold; confidence and consistency are key!

Salk chose a very bold, but pretty tablecloth to set the tone, and matched it with napkins of the same ilk, since a different pattern there would be too much. However, she had fun with the plates: She anchored everything with a bright but solid orange dinner plates; the key is to place solid over a pattern before you have another pattern. Then, she brought in a second pattern for the salad plate, but made sure it had lots of white in between the colors.

Keep your colors corresponding with their tones: "cheerfuls" with like-minded and formals with formals. The glasses even had a pattern, but it was translucent, giving texture without overwhelming the overall scheme. Keep your flatware simple. Keep your serving trays interesting in texture, but with solid colors. Don't overcomplicate things. Keep flowers on the table simple, but use a solid-colored flower, perhaps something as simple, but wonderfully spring-like as tulips.

The second room Salk chose was the bedroom, another great place to try out this trend.

She says toile is a wonderful pattern to layer in with a duvet and shams of another pattern. Toile is restful, and the pattern repeat is consistent, so you don't get dizzy. She made sure the duvet had a bold pattern, but lots of white. And the color palette should be sophisticated, or it would look like a child's room.

Have one set of shams that match the duvet; this will pull look together. As a fun touch, add a small, bright pillow that has one large graphic on it (such as a flower). That gives the whole scheme further zing. Your carpet can have a pattern too; just make sure it's quiet and not too busy. It should not compete. If it features a solid color that ties in the whole bed setup, all the better.

Some other basic pattern rules::

1. For stripes, use clean, graphic stripes with floral prints, but make sure you don't use stripes that are overly detailed or small lines; it will just look very busy.

2. Pair geometrics with florals, but keep the geometrics simple and the palette limited. Don't feel the need to echo all the colors in the floral print.

3. Use smaller floral prints with other similar floral prints; don't mix though traditional prints with modern floral prints. Pick one style. As Salk stresses, consistency is key!

4. Polka dots are another hot trend; pair them with sophisticated floral prints.

So, remember:

1. Start small, and work your way gradually into bolder design statements.

2. Choose colors you love.

3. Use complementary colors when mixing patterns.

4. Mixing patterns doesn't have to be a huge, bold risk; keep the volume down, meaning: Choose one color and mixing different shades with it. One common color helps the room look coordinated, and not truly mismatched!