Coming up with an interior design that fits your space and creates the emotional impression you
want for your home can feel like a daunting task. How do you come up with a design scheme
that truly feels like home? These strategies will help you tastefully layer colors and patterns in
your home design to create a space that’s welcoming, appealing, and uniquely you.
Strike a Balance
Balance is a key component of any interior design scheme – and it’s often a building block for
other interior design techniques. There are three main strategies to achieve balance in interior
design: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial balance.
Symmetrical balance uses mirrored arrangements to highlight a focal point in your room, such
as matching bedside tables that frame a bed. Colors and patterns can be used to ground the
room design and emphasize its centerpiece. This will make your space feel ordered and stable.
Asymmetrical balance is less formal, playing with visual weight through texture and color to
create a dynamic, effortlessly chic feel. It’s common in many design traditions, from Japanese
wabi-sabi to American mid-century modern. Bold patterns and colors will draw the eye to your
focal point, such as an accent wall or a patterned armchair. Balance them out with neutral tones
to distribute the weight evenly.
Radial balance, meanwhile, utilizes an anchored axis point and design elements that radiate
from it. While it’s more common in office spaces, there are definitely ways to incorporate this
balance technique in your home. Try setting up a circular dining table with chairs around it under
a hanging lighting fixture, or over an area rug.
Incorporate Color Theory
In interior design, color theory refers to the way colors and hues work together to create
emotion. Colors and patterns can be layered in your home to give your space a particular feel,
like relaxed, energized, restful, or playful.
For instance, an earth tone color scheme is one of the top 2025 interior design trends and gives you the perfect opportunity to use this year’s Pantone Color of the Year, Mocha Mousse
Color theory tells us this color scheme can be calming, grounding, and restorative due to its natural inspirations.
Pro tip: to easily incorporate an earthy color scheme, take inspiration from your favorite season.
Play with Contrast
Contrast is a great way to draw attention to a focal point in your home design. Consider the
impact of a dark wood dining table in a room with eggshell walls, or a bold patterned rug on
hardwood – both will draw the eye to make your space feel inviting.
In addition to making key pieces stand out, contrast also adds balance to your design scheme
when mixing colors and patterns. It can lend visual weight to a particular piece to balance out an
asymmetrical layout. Try using color theory to incorporate a contrasting color in your palette, or
use a standout print to bring everything together.
Add Texture
Texture doesn’t just refer to the feel of your favorite throw blanket – it can also be a way to add
visual weight to your interior design. Textiles, furnishings, and even lighting can all be used to
create texture in your design scheme.
Let’s go back to our example of an earth-toned interior design scheme. To incorporate texture in
this design, natural fabrics like linen or wool knits are a great way to emphasize your color
scheme and bring out details through texture and pattern.
Soft lighting will make the space feel soothing, while a brighter light scheme will create an airy,
vibrant feel. Low-maintenance house plants such as monstera and snake plants will also add
texture through shape and color to bring your room to life.
Mix Patterns – The Right Way
Mixing Patterns might sound intimidating, yet it can add a lot of depth and interest to your space.
Whether you’re aiming for a cozy urban farmhouse appearance or an eclectic boho vibe, the
key is finding pattern combinations that bring interest to your room without making it feel
cluttered or overwhelming.
Start with the major fabrics you’re planning to include in your room, like rugs, curtains, or
headboards, and incorporate additional patterns that go with their color scheme into details like
pillows and blankets. It’s easy to swap these small pieces out if you change your mind.
Give your patterns space to breathe, and find balance through the scale and mood of the
patterns you’re interested in. A small-scale “delicate” floral, for instance, will pair well with thick
stripes or a floral motif with bigger blooms.
Final Thoughts
Layering colors and patterns in your interior design scheme opens up a world of possibilities to
transform your home. By using these strategies in your interior design plan, you can tastefully
incorporate colors and patterns to bring your vision to life and make your space your own.
Annie Parnell is a writer, radio host, and audio producer based in Richmond, Virginia. She loves
music, pop culture, reading, and all things outdoors.