The effects of patterns in design

Jan 30th, 2026 • By Elaine Sommerville 004

kaleidoscope

When I was young, one of my favorites toys was the kaleidoscope. I would hold it to the light and turn turn turn for a new pattern and a whole new selection of colours and shapes would appear. It was dreamy. It was beautiful. In math we can create unlimited patterns called fractals and in nature there are deliberate and divine creations of pattern that facilitate growth, nutrition and distribution to the plant. Pattern recognition is something you probably have never thought about, or even realized how unconsciously you are always looking for them. Patterns can signal safety and survival. Think of meeting one of the cat family in the wild. You definitely could distinguish the difference between a tiger and a lion due to their body patterns.

But what happens when we have too much pattern in a room?

I recently visited with my good friend who is redoing a family home with her long time mate. They spent the week removing very busy green fl oral wallpaper complete with border, in what felt like the entire home. Her mate later confessed that he didn’t realize how the busyness of the wallpaper made him feel so tired. Removing all that pattern gave the room a feeling of peace and felt much more relaxed.

Bright relaxed vacation home

This is the task of a designer. To harmonize the space and complement the environment not confuse it. Repeating patterns is a great way to bring cohesiveness. Along with matching colours, arches, textures and their patterns. These are all hallmarks of good design you will often see patterns of three in a well designed room. Items of different, scale, size, and structure. Patterns that echo nature make a room feel relaxing and inviting. Want to make a room look rich? Use large bold patterns in small quantities.

Want a room to look bigger? Lay the floor the length of the room, not across. When the

flooring was laid the wrong way you can instantly tell the room feels off, it feels squatty or smaller. I am always surprised when clients ask “is this the right direction?” For me it is intuitive. But if you do not know then it’s best to hire a professional, otherwise you will be out a lot of money and a lot of heartache. You also do not want patterns in a room fighting with each other, this will just makes things worse.

How do you want your space to feel?

Bold? Exciting?Peaceful? Curious? Every space can create these feelings through the play of patterns, colour and light. It’s just a matter of getting it right.

If you have questions or want to have an audit of your space click on the contact page and send me a photo of your room. Let’s start a conversation!

Stay beautiful,

Elaine

@ ADELINE HOME