Interior Designer Isabel Ladd is an expert on all things color and pattern and shares her top tips on mixing these elements in your own home. Scroll through to see her 14 tips that will change how you look at adding color and pattern into your space.

Isabel says, "layering rugs is great when you have fallen in love with a beautiful rug (but it’s just not the right size for the entire room), or a large version is beyond your budget. You’ll want two juxtaposing materials. I start with a classic sisal as the base so that the more colorful rug on top can stand out. The base rug should be large enough to ground the room."

When it comes to rug placement, Isabel says, "I like rugs that are positioned approximately 12” away from a fireplace or main wall. I also place at least the first two legs of the sofa or club chairs on this rug. The layered rug is generally more colorful and pattern-full. If there is a coffee table over it, then make sure this layered rug is larger than the coffee table. If there is no furniture on top of it, then I usually like to leave about 18-24” of the base rug visible. But there’s really no hard rule to this – I just visualize what looks best."

"Consider tough upholstery fabrics like heavily textured blends, sumptuous velvets, or heavy-duty patterns for your big pieces. But, if you love a fabric that is not upholstery grade, talk to your upholsterer about having the fabric “knit-backed” to make it sturdier. You can always have your upholstery protected and cleaned with a company like FiberSeal, so don’t stress too much if you find a fabric you LOVE, but are afraid of spills," she suggests.