Recently, I received an email from a reader "I am just looking at the new Bemz Marimekko fabrics and have no clue which colors would go as accent pillows with some of them. Help!" Good question, I thought. I sought professional advice, and here's what Katarina, our in-house designer, had to say:
Black and white always work well together but there are some beautiful pairings available for those of you looking for a more unique combination. To get the most from the Bemz Marimekko collection, I would stick with the Panama Cotton range from Bemz when adding cushions into the mix as they provide the best quality and finish for this collection.
The Kirsikka - Turquoise fits together delightfully with our Daiquiri Green as it picks up and amplifies the crisp, spring-inspired colors in the fabric and seizes on the dynamic and modern aspect of the pattern. To get the most from your Kirsikka - Grey/Black, add a few cushions in Fuchsiawhich contrast beautifully. The strong colors play off each other creating a very typical Marimekko-look, ideal for this fascinatingly natural design.
The same reasoning can be applied when matching Fuchsia cushions with the breathtaking and vibrant Fandango - Red. It is not so much that the Fuchsia matches the pinks in Fandango but rather that the strength in these fabrics allows them to support each other while still speaking for themselves. Most importantly though, this pairing communicates the graphic detail that is Marimekko. Putting Fandango - Light Grey with cushions in Soft White emulates calm and embraces the subtle monochromatic tones of this romantic pattern, adding sophistication and elegance.
Cushions in Toronto Ticking- Teal Blue work genially on a Joonas- Black/Blue cover as the black and blue combination of these textiles hint at the exotic of the Far East. Also, pairing a small print pattern with a big one is a trade secret that always gives an impactful result. As with the Kirsikka - Grey/Black pattern, Fuchsia and even Jet Black cushions would embrace the contemporary minimalism of the Joonas - Black/White design and strengthen its timeless elegance.
The classic Pienet Kivet - Black/White and Gotland Stripe- Mandarin Orange are two eye-catchingly conspicuous prints that play together harmoniously thanks to their contrasting bold, graphic details.
To espouse the strong graphic quality, rich decorative details and subtle tones of Praliini - Light Grey, I would stick with sophisticated and simple Soft White. As with Fandango - Light Grey, cushions in Soft White allow the boldness of the lovely, geometric Marimekko fabric to subtly blend into a calm and elegant milieu.
Teal Blue would work exquisitely with the impactful and stunning Spinning - Multi. Although the blue is not an exact match, it comes from the same palette and shares the same color strength and saturation as those in the pattern. If you are really looking to make a statement, try Stockholm Stripe- Daiquiri/Teal Blue.
All the Bemz Stockholm Stripe* fabrics perform really well with the Bemz Marimekko collection (*plus you can get 10% off all Stockholm Stripe fabrics from now until the end of July!). When comparing the eye-catchingly beautiful poppies of Unikko - Red to our Bemz fabrics, we discovered that the centers are actually a kind of purply-blue and not black as originally thought. Based on this finding, we decided to pull out this element of the design by teaming it with Stockholm Stripe- Deep Navy Blue. Unikko - Black on the other hand, works perfectly with our Stockholm Stripe- Jet Black which highlights and maintains the timelessness of the pattern.
If you are still humming and hawing over your choices, you can of course always check with customer service - they are experts at answering these kinds of questions. Otherwise, ask our in-house designers for a few tips!
PS Members get two cushion covers thrown in at no extra cost when they order a Marimekko cover from Bemz before June 30th. Read more about the offer here.
Great info and links. Thanks for posting! -Cheers
Posted by: Modern-Furniture-Guy | July 14, 2009 at 03:31 PM