CREATING A COLLECTED LAYERED SPACE

 When it comes to layering, I'm all about stacking design element upon design element to achieve a cohesive look.  I layer art or mirrors over bookshelves or windows, stack empty frames upon each other, and even layer holiday decor.

My sunroom was no exception when I pulled it together with texture, pattern, and color.
I then tied it all together with a nature-inspired thread.

MY SUNROOM

LOOKING IN FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM

 I started with a  Stark sisal rug and layered it with a hide rug.  The rugs add texture and a base for the layering that comes next.   The zebra cushion on the faux bamboo chair is one of the patterns in the room.  You'll see that mixing different patterns with similar hues is one of the ways to make the room cohesive.

LAYERED SISAL AND HIDE RUGS

The zebra pattern on the chair cushion, the draperies and pillows in the Imperial Trellis fabric, and the West Elm pillows with the garden benches, while different designs, share a color and work together.

MIXING PATTERNS

The neutral palette needed a color pop.  You can see how the addition of the color coral adds that contrast.  The sea life classroom chart adds another pattern as well as something unexpected and quirky.  I always try to add an element of surprise into a room.  It also repeats the nature theme.

THE CLASSROOM CHART ADDS AN UNEXPECTED DESIGN ELEMENT

When I layer, I just don't place design elements in front of each other;  I also tier them.   In this next image, the  stacked rugs are the base, the next layer is the ottoman, then a tray, and a book to top it off.  Books are one of the my most-used design elements.

LAYERING CAN BE VERTICAL TOO

Note again how I've repeated the color coral and sea life theme with the book jacket. 
The branch overlaps the book.  This is layering too.

REPEATING THE CORAL 

There's more coral on the bottom shelf of my bar cart.  I placed a piece of faux coral in front of a large sea life plate.

THE BOTTOM SHELF OF MY CHROME BAR CART

You'll see that I painted the Chinoiserie garden table and chairs coral and added more geometric fabric to the chair seats and pillows.  A zebra runner repeats the pattern on the zebra chair cushion. The pair of wing chairs add more texture and also repeat a natural element.  A faux shell and coral votives reflect the nature-related theme too. The fig tree in the corner was a gift from my Dad.  It's a cutting from a tree in his yard and another nod to nature.

WING CHAIRS AND CHINOISERIE GARDEN TABLE AND CHAIRS

Adding pillows is another way to layer and add depth to a space.
 I  also eliminated the draperies on the the windows that face the back yard and layered prints of  coral in mirrored frames directly onto the window frame. Notice the texture and the natural element that the banana leaf furniture contributes to the space.  The natural fibers and all the references to sea life and nature make the room cohesive.

LAYERED PILLOWS AND PRINTS

A reflection into a mirror can also create a layered effect.  The mirror with the reflected chandelier and sea life chart creates depth.  At the same time, the partial images make you want to explore the space and imagine what the rest of the space holds.

USING A REFLECTION TO LAYER AND ADD DEPTH

How do you layer your spaces?