Henry Holland reveals how to make pattern work in your home when deep down you’re scared of bold prints

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Henry Holland has shared some expert tips on how to make pattern really work in your home. So, if you’re usually wary of prints when it comes to curtain fabric, wallpaper and cushion covers, keep reading.

Perhaps you’re weighing up new living room ideas mid-renovation but wondering whether leopard print, stripes and terrazzo can really go together, or if it will end up looking like a dog’s dinner. When we spoke to the famous designer – a man who never shies away from pattern – he said it’s all about the smaller soft furnishings.

We recently sat down with Henry to chat about his brilliant new homeware line, Henry Holland Modern Living, at Freemans, which he says is an evolution of his style, differing from his previous fashion lines. First of all, he said that in the soft furnishings, he used prints – but not everywhere.

‘I think it’s really nice to incorporate touches of print into the home to pull together colour palettes,’ says Henry. ‘I think if you go too heavy with print and pattern, it can limit how much you can mix in pieces from different places.

‘But we started out with the prints and they had a lot more colour to them, and then we reduced them down to these much more succinct colour palettes across the prints, but still tonally working together. I would say smaller touches of print and pattern with more solid basics in bigger pieces.’

Henry comments that by reserving bold pattern for smaller decor pieces, it gives you the flexibility to change things later down the line. ‘It’s nice to be able to evolve your home without having to scratch everything and start from the drawing board,’ he says.

Henry adds that it can be helpful to consider the ‘red line’ going through your home. If you hone in on a few colours you love and stick to those when purchasing new decor pieces, it can help make a room feel more unified.

From colorful maximalism to chintzy cottagecore, the home decor trends of 2021 embrace pattern in all forms, whether it’s florals, geometric motifs or gingham. You can make different patterns work by sticking to similar tones and putting your most daring prints on smaller soft furnishings like pouffes, cushions, throws and inexpensive rugs.