Playing Plaid by the Rules

This post is brought to you by Target Style.
Shop the new Home collection in stores and online.

I was ready for a change from the usual mix of colorful pillows on my sofa, so I brought in a plaid blanket and pillows to switch things up for fall. We already had the big fluffy pillow on hand, and the cream, oatmeal, and caramel colors that have been added break up the teal of the couch and play up the woodwork behind it.

I went for pale neutrals, playing by the rules of pattern and plaid, mixing scale and keeping to an overall refined palette. You can break the rules by mixing them up and taking it further though! There were options in red, black, navy, and orange to choose from too, with the patterns going from subtle to loud.

The smaller pillow on the right is from the new Adam Lippes for Target collaboration. It reverses from plaid to a sunburst design, and both sides look good against the larger pillow behind it.

There’s a new throw blanket in the living room for the kids to steal! (They’re always taking them for fort building or whatever else they’re up to for the day, so I’m constantly tracking them down and putting them back.) The blanket is another reversible piece from the Adam Lippes collection, but the difference is more subtle (from a buffalo check to gingham).

I usually have a small brass dish on the coffee table, but I swapped it out for one of these little appetizer plates in assorted plaids. It’s hanging out with a few books, my lil ceramic nudies, and a pothos. (Looking for a house plant you can keep alive? Pothos. $4 at the grocery store and easy.) I’m not sure how much longer these things will be safe where they are though — they are just out of reach for Calvin right now, but not for long.

Hello, deer. Fancy seeing you here.

He’s actually going to go in August’s room, but I couldn’t resist popping him up above the secretary desk for a little while first. Libraries do well with a bit of taxidermy — this one just happens to be of the plush plaid variety.

Brandon wears plaid shirts all the time (exhibit A), and I buy it a lot for the kids, but I haven’t gone much for plaid myself since I was a young goth/punk with zippers all over my pants. It looks awesome in the house though, and I even picked up a windowpane interpretation of the pattern in a top for myself. Teenage me would be a little surprised by the pink I’m so fond of now, but the black walls and plaid would get a nod of approval.

When you add a new pattern in your home, do you go crazy with it, or just a little touch here or there? Are you more of a play by the rules or a break the rules kind of person?