• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • about
    • services
    • team
  • portfolio
  • press
Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

  • book
  • blog
  • contact

Big patterns are IN!

Annie Elliott | March 12, 2023

Our wonderful Schumacher rep Kate came to visit us the other day, Gentle Readers, and something became extremely clear. Large-scale patterns — on fabric, on wallpaper — are IN! And they are glorious!

Queen Fruit by Schumacher
Light blue and coral floral wallpaper
My main man Manuel – Canovas, that is. Through Cowtan & Tout

I felt a bit validated, to tell you the truth. I’ve been looking for large-scale stuff recently, mostly because I’ve had big windows and walls to cover. Large patterns just felt right.

Living room with floor to ceiling chartreuse patterned wallpaper
Timorous Beasties’ Totem Damask wallpaper in a double-height space. A particularly fun project ;)
Scenic black and white waterfall mountain print as window treatments
Same house: the Roman shade is Pierre Frey, Les Rocheuses

It’s not that large-scale patterns are new. Of course they’re not.

Red wallpaper with zebras
Scalamandré’s iconic Zebras

There just seems to be more of them now.

Manuel Canovas again
Black and white horse print on linen
Schumacher
Colorful bird pattern wallpaper in dining rom
Canopy by Schumacher

In addition to large patterns that repeat, panels are in as well. You know those:

Red and white floral wallpaper panels
Schumacher
Light wood cabinet in front of mural with stylied trees
Schumacher

To get a taste of the large without the commitment, you can frame a single panel as art, if you want to. An actual frame can get awfully heavy, though…my preferred method is to use picture moulding on a wall, as we did below.

Large aqua Chinoiserie panel on a dining room

I wonder if big patterns are a thing in clothing, too? Let me know ;)

2 pink velvet chairs in front of floral wallpaper

You can thank my daughter Ruthie and her fabulous ultimate frisbee team for blocking a blog post about how blues are becoming less aqua and more cornflower, and how greens are becoming less yellow/kiwi and more blue/teal. Ruthie et al were coming through town this weekend and weighed in: not enough there for a whole post. They were right, of course.

Annie Elliott Design is based in Washington, D.C. We’re experts in creating joyous, pattern-filled homes and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.

Category: WallpaperTag: Cowtan & Tout, fabric, large scale, Manuel Canovas, Pierre Frey, Scalamandre, Schumacher, Timorous Beasties, wallpaper, Zebras

Sidebar

Subscribe

 

Bossy Color Blog

Categories

  • Art + accessories »
  • Bedroom »
  • Color + paint color »
  • Dining room »
  • Furniture + upholstery »
  • Kids »
  • Kitchen + bath »
  • Lighting »
  • Living Room + Family Room »
  • Renovation »
  • Rugs »
  • Wallpaper »
  • Window treatments »

View Portfolio

view Bossy Color's portfolio

Instagram

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

May 28

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18102883841082172
For those of you lucky enough to have a beach house, now’s the time to start thinking about decorating beyond traditional “costal decor!” Step one? Consider a color palette other than blue and white ;) See my latest blog post for more! 🏖️ 🐚#beachhouseinteriors #interiordesign #eastcoast

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

May 22

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18125488516719287
I follow two rules when mixing patterns in the same space: vary the scale, and vary the subject.I was excited to share this and other insights on pattern splicing with @ericafinamore from @apartmenttherapy! #interiordesign #patternsplicing #patternmixing #designopinions #annieelliottdesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

May 20

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18082241465136951
It’s Wallpaper Wednesday! This week we’re featuring Deconstructed Stripe by Schumacher (in collaboration with Miles Redd).This pattern pays tribute to the legendary decorator Albert Hadley. Redd was inspired by Hadley’s contemporary, streamlined designs that played with scale and proportion. Deconstructed Stripe is impactful on its own but also looks INCREDIBLE next to other patterns.@schumacher1889 #designinspo #wallpaper #interiordesigner

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

May 19

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17926257288321853
HuffPost asked for my thoughts about the new White House ballroom. As you can imagine, I have many. I was so delighted to be included in this conversation! Thank you, @huffpost and @carsar91!#interiordesign #whitehouse #designopinions #annieelliottdesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

May 13

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18340156693174785
I was thrilled to attend Imar Lyman’s exhibition opening at the Kreeger recently! I’ve loved his work for years and am lucky enough to own one of his silkscreens (ours is of Frederick Douglass). He’s moved from portraiture to abstraction, but he still does some work in collage, which I confess is my favorite ;) The exhibition is up through July 11. Play hooky one afternoon and go.(The last painting is by Frank Stella, by the way — an influence on the artist, as you can see!)@imarhutchins @kreegermuseum

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

May 11

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18089647349356601
I’ve decided that spring cleaning is not enough this year. Spring MAKEOVERS are in store!Read my latest blog post to see before-and-after photos of some past and current projects. It’s heavy on pictures, light on commentary…the blog version of a beach read to give you a jump on summer 🏖️.

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

May 8

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18121007992638464
It was an honor to be a sponsor of the 87th annual Flower Mart at the National Cathedral! My  daughters have been trekking up to the Cathedral for this event since they were little - wonderful memories. This year, my favorite flower display was the Hong Kong Economic and Trade office; those peonies smelled UNBELIEVABLE! 🌺 🌼 🌷 🌻! Switzerland was a close second ;)

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

May 6

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17979927968845150
For today’s Wallpaper Wednesday, we discuss Hicks Grand by David Hicks.The British interior designer created the smaller-scale Hicks Hexagon in the 1960s and later scaled up the pattern to create Hicks Grand. The contemporary, geometric, honeycomb repeat adds intrigue and depth to any room. I have only used the smaller Hicks Hexagon (stairway picture), but I LOVE the scale of Hicks Grand. Fun fact: The Hicks Hexagon pattern was used on the rugs in the Overlook Hotel’ hallways in The Shining 😱#wallpaperinspo #interiorinspiration #hicksandgrand

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Apr 30

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18088806227011860
Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.But nothing says spring like flowers! 🌷 🌻 🌸 (And birds!)
Follow

Looking for something?

Don’t miss a single post

 

Where classic and modern hang out and drink gin.

  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
American Society of Interior Designers Firm Partner

© 2026 · Annie Elliott Design · privacy policy