Few interior designers layer patterns as well as Isabel Rudd. After all, this maximalist designer believes in the saying “more is more, less is less.” Each space shared by Isabel has a bold, bright and distinctive design, with pattern playing a key role. Whether it’s intricate florals or eye-catching geometric designs, she’s a master of pairing, mixing, and layering, approaching them with care without crossing the line of “too much.”
Recently, Isabelle found herself turning to her lucky numbers over and over again, as she was told that most of her designs include a total of seven unique patterns. To hear a little more about how she crams her seven patterns into her one space, we spoke to Isabelle and provided her expert list of pattern-combining tips. He gave it to me. Additionally, she talked about how her personal style has evolved over time, making her 180-degree turn from neutral and trend-driven to eclectic and exciting. That’s all you need to know.
What do you like about the pattern?
While a maximalist color palette is an essential part of Isabel’s overall style, patterns define many of her design schemes. Something relaxing, something very unique and different, or your favorite calming colors.Whatever it is, there’s so much you can do with patterns,” says Isabel. H&G.
She says one of her design philosophies is inspired by the former Diana Vreeland. trend The title of the editor-in-chief’s biographical documentary is the eye must travel. Isabelle says that the fashion icon’s take on the word was probably a little different, but she applies this globally influenced word to the world of interior design.
“I like when you walk into a room and your eye moves through the room from one cool thing to another cool thing. Use different patterns. Then it becomes clear: Decorating with patterns is very important to me because it conveys a sense of self and brings joy. And in fact, it evokes a unique atmosphere and ideas. ” says Isabel.
Isabelle’s love for patterns is clear, but someone who’s been following her on Instagram for a while points out the number of specific patterns she tends to use in her signature design schemes: seven. It took a while.
“I was like, ‘What? That’s crazy. Hmm.’ And he said, ‘Okay, start counting.’ So I did just that, and it’s true – 7 was the closest number. I don’t know how I kept that in my head for so long. When I’m designing, I don’t count sevens out of it. It happens naturally. So something in my brain is telling me the lucky number is seven,” she says.
Although the secret formula for the seven different patterns was completely unconscious, she believes the success of this combination has something to do with the odd numbers. “I love working in odd numbers,” she says.
Designers often look to the rule of three to inform their processes, but “as a maximalist,” Isabelle says that three is not enough. She often hears that the solid design formula includes florals, stripes, and geometric patterns, but she doesn’t believe in stopping there.
“If it’s three, that’s too low. It’s just florals, stripes, geometric patterns, that’s not me…I never do little things like that. But the fifth one, maybe a little more. “Maybe I’m a typical maximalist, but I’m not a typical maximalist. That’s why 7 feels good,” she says.
Isabelle Rudd is a self-proclaimed maximalist interior designer who believes in the sayings “more is more, less is less” and “beige is not a color.” She is the founder and principal designer of Isabel Ladd Interiors, based in Lexington, Kentucky.
How to layer 7 patterns at once
While layered patterns come very naturally to Isabelle, the process of mixing and matching bold designs can feel intimidating to others. Luckily, she shared some top tips for putting patterns together that made the process easier for even the most pattern-skeptics.
Isabelle says that her pattern play is greatly aided by her “huge library of fabrics and wallpapers”, so she doesn’t start with a blank slate each time, but she does turn to the internet for inspiration. He adds that it’s an easy method. Her first tip concerns the scale of the pattern she chooses.
“I love having huge, really big pieces, really great hero moments, so the scale of the other patterns becomes denser,” she says. No matter where you start, he asks you to choose one piece that truly makes a statement and that you want to define the entire space. Let that pattern shine, then layer in a few pared-down picks.
You don’t have to sacrifice color or design in this process. The idea is simply to spend time having “hero moments.” “If you have something on a very large scale, like a flower, we’ll do something else on a smaller scale,” she added.
Tip number two is to consider negative space. Some patterns are dense and need to be combined with other patterns that have negative space in the background. The image is still there, the pattern is still there, but there is a negative space in the background,” says Isabel. This tip, in addition to scale, allows the central pattern to take center stage and helps avoid visual clutter despite the presence of multiple complex patterns.
She suggests choosing a “super cool” geometric pattern that can stand on its own (i.e., not basic stripes or plaids, she clarifies). And while it may come as a surprise that Isabelle sometimes prefers neutrals, she incorporates it into her designs. Her definition of neutral seems a little different than most.
“Sometimes it’s deep indigo tie-dye or something that doesn’t have a repeating pattern, but it still gets a lot of interest. And I love indigo tie-dye and batik. It’s great for bringing in a global element. I love it,” she says.
Instead of the classic combination of decorating in black and white, a staple pattern in many design schemes, Isabel suggests opting for a brown and white pair. She says, “Brown and white are just warmer to me, not as sharp as black and white.” I think that’s important when layering these patterns. This does not apply in all cases. Sometimes I go for black and white, but overall I like brown and white. ” This combination softens the space, and other patterns can play an important role when it comes to contrast.
If you decide to follow in Isabel’s footsteps and introduce some pattern into your space, you may be wondering where to start. There are many possibilities, and we don’t blame you. Isabelle says her own designs often include plenty of pattern in three areas: lampshades, curtains, and wallpaper.
“I love incorporating patterned lampshades. Often they’re either marbled paper or gathered fabric, so the pattern never fully shows.” I sometimes put my busiest prints on the curtains because of the gathers. Don’t “waste” solid colors, stripes, etc. on the curtains. Place a very dense piece of fabric on top of the curtain. Because it’s just collected,” she says. H&G.
But where is the absolute best place to place a pattern? “Best of all would be wallpaper,” she says. Isabelle added that patterned wallpaper is “confident and direct” and added: “In my opinion, nothing makes a room better.” “And I say it out loud.”
How to break out of your design comfort zone
Even if Isabelle is well-versed in her work, she is sometimes faced with clients who need a little extra effort to go all-in with color and pattern in their homes. According to her, people are facing indecision and she worries that over time she will get bored with the bold wallpapers and brightly designed accessories she introduces into spaces. That’s what it means.
“On the other hand, I hope your style changes in a few years.” Because design should never be done. It’s an evolution and should reflect how you evolve and how your style changes,” says Isabel.
You must design your home to reflect who you are now. What brings you joy right now? Because who you are now is different from who you are 10 years from now, and who you are 10 years from now will also be different. “I think it’s very interesting when you evolve, when you discover something new and when you can change,” she continues.
As it turns out, Isabel also has a bit of personal experience with this. Believe it or not, Isabelle wasn’t always into maximalism. About 10 years ago, Isabel says, she was “afraid of color.” She originally designed the home to be attractive to future buyers. She now says it was her “craziest idea”.
“I wasn’t scared of color for myself, I was scared of color for other people. So I built a white kitchen with white walls, a plain runner on the stairs, and a trendy I decorated it with things and other people’s favorite things,” she says.
After some time, Isabelle finally decided that sticking to trends was not a reflection of herself and her personality, much less a reflection of what made her happy. She has taken her “small steps” to improve her situation, she said. Starting with wallpapering the kitchen ceiling and walls, and painting the cabinets in a stunning marigold shade, she has transformed kitchens over the years into a beautiful, authentic, signature style.
“I’ve evolved over the past 10 years, and I plan to continue to evolve. I want my home to reflect the evolution of my style and what brings me joy in the moment.” , because by God I want it to continue to evolve… You have to make it your own, make it something that reflects you and brings you joy. “Otherwise, it would be a miserable way to live if you were thinking about strangers or imaginary strangers entering your private space,” she says.
Many times when people ask Isabel how she creates successful maximalist designs, she always says, “There’s no scientific method.” Her tips are helpful when layering patterns and creating design schemes, but the most important thing is to trust your intuition.
“I just keep experimenting…and I keep going until it feels right. I’m very instinctive about when to keep going and when to think, ‘I’m done, this is it.’
House of Hackney scalloped lampshade
You’re not alone if you’re excited about patterns right now. Incorporating exciting colors, shapes and designs opens up a whole new world of design possibilities. With proven tips from maximalist pros, you’re more than ready to embark on your own pattern-mixing journey.