This lively breakfast room plays with plenty of patterns

The addition fits nicely in a 19th-century house

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breakfast room addition

Photograph by Emily Followill

This lively breakfast room addition by Atlanta architect Norman Askins and interior designer/author James Farmer fits nicely in a 19th-century house. “The house is old, but the family is young, so I wanted to respect the Southern vernacular yet keep the look cheerful,” says Farmer.

Outside looking in
The Schumacher “Zanzibar Trellis” wallpaper was a starting point, says Farmer, who leaned into the sunroom–turned–dining area vibe.

Mix and match
A custom salvaged-wood farmhouse table pairs well with espresso bamboo chairs sporting playful leopard-print cushions.

Historic walls
The large-scale art over the buffet is actually an antique wallpaper panel. The designer also loves to hang heirloom dishes as a historical homage.

Lighten up
A light fixture from Ainsworth-Noah references traditional designs but with more contemporary lines.

Tip: One trick for combining multiple patterns in a room is to keep them all in a similar color palette. “Green and white is really a classical scheme as a backdrop,” Farmer says. Find more tips in his new book, Arriving Home: A Gracious Southern Welcome.

This article appears in our September 2020 issue.

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