If your home feels a little too subdued, you can wake up your spaces with some playful patterns. From classic plaids to bold florals, colorful motifs can perk up furniture, walls, floors and more.

It’s often said that fashion trends influence home trends, and as maximalism reigns supreme on the runways, it’s making its way into homes in the form of patterns and prints on upholstered furniture.

The fashion world calls it "pattern play." My 5-year-old daughter Piper, who is a fashionista in her own right, calls it "mix it up." It's when you pair plaids with polka dots, stripes with florals or ...