By Kacey Roy ~
I’m a big fan of leather and animal print and I’m not afraid to show it. However, some just don’t think they can “pull it off”. Here are some simple steps to add some edge into your personal home style.
#1 Start Slow. This is important in every design factor and I’m guilty of over saturating when I’m loving something (picture every accessory in turquoise haha). By start slow, I mean don’t go out and buy every animal print or leather item you can find and throw it in your space. A great way to begin is with smaller accessories like picture frames, throw blankets and cocktail trays. Pick a favorite pattern and coordinate from there.
#2 Start Small. Same concept as #1 but here I’m talking furniture; unless you are covering the big leather sectional or ottomans in which case I would say GO FOR IT (!!!) and GO BIG (!!!). Other than that pick an occasional chair in a small animal print to go with a basic taupe couch, or add a deep red or navy leather cocktail table to darker brown sofas. Add some fabulous subtle animal prints to anything and you will be surprised how easy it is to add some edge to your space.
#3 Pick Your Pattern. Animal prints can be either sophisticated and fun, or overdone and loud. They also can cover a pallet outside the traditional leopard print. Choose softer colors, or smaller prints if you are unsure, or choose a bolder print but in a more simple pattern (think zebra). Lastly, choose an animal print with just two primary colors in it; like a black and brown combination. When choosing a leather fabric to add to your space, try to choose something that will compliment the colors in the room if there is a lot of color already. If the room is completely neutral then pick something bold. For example if you have a plain off white or beige couch, go for the burnt orange leather ottoman, if they space is more lively than get that tobacco leather side chair (YUM!)
#4 Anything Goes. This is a constant theme in all my articles. I’m a big believer that your home should reflect you and what makes you feel comfortable. I’m not a big fan of matchy-matchy. If it feels good to you, then go for it. We have a set coming intro the shop that mixes surprising leathers, animals prints and neutrals because ANYTHING GOES! I feel like Spring 2018 is going to be about color, print and texture in surprising ways.