Decorating with Funky Patterns and Shapes

June 23, 2025 Nourison Staff

Do you love rooms that feel fresh, expressive, and a little offbeat? Funky decor might be for you! Whether you’re into pop art prints, curvy furniture, or love a good mix of colors and shapes, there are tons of ways to bring this eclectic style to your space.

Here are a few ways to decorate with funky patterns and shapes:

Start with a warm wall color

Sometimes, we underestimate just how much a fresh coat of paint can change the energy of the room. Warmer hues in the brown color family, like terracotta, are a great canvas for layering in your shaped furniture and patterned artwork.

If you’re working with a lot of bold art and textiles, then a slightly less saturated hue helps them shine.

Mix and match artwork on the walls

Gallery walls featuring abstract art and graphic prints are a natural fit for funky decor. Don’t just limit your layout to prints, though. Try mixing different frame styles and materials and throwing in a pill-shaped or sunburst mirror to break up the arrangement. You can even rest a larger piece of art leaned on the floor to give the room a more relaxed feel.

When planning your gallery wall, start with the largest piece off-center and build your other items around it. Group brighter colored prints together and add some darker pieces around it to help guide the eyes around the wall area.

Uneven spacing between pieces lends a slightly less curated look.

Gallery wall featuring mixed-pattern artwork

Embrace curvy furniture

If you have the budget and don’t already own it, shaped furniture softens the overall look of a room. Try a curvy sofa and an urn-shaped coffee table to really play on the organic feel that these items provide.

Choosing furniture in a few simple colors to complement the wall create a nice contrast.

Living room featuring a curved sofa, curved furniture, and a retro rug

Layer in patterned pillows

While a shaped sofa does a lot to give off an eclectic vibe, throw pillows keep the seating area from looking unfinished. Pair pillows in the same color family and focus on mixing patterns, like a wavy design with textured and geometric pillows. Textures like boucle or velvet add even more depth to your seating.

Close up image of textured and patterned pillows

Use a rug to ground and finish the entire space

A retro-style rug with curvy geometric elements is the perfect way to bring everything together. Without it, even the most fun pieces of furniture can feel like they’re “floating” in the room. Like your pillows, you’ll want to choose a rug that pulls from a similar color family to other elements within the room.

Angled view of a retro rug under a coffee table and sofa

Go monochromatic

If you prefer a more toned-down look, you can still tap into funky styling with a monochrome palette. Just choose one color family and focus instead on the shapes and textures you bring into the room.

Items like a sculpted lamp, arched side table, and textured wall art all lend a modern feel that’s still more welcoming.

To keep the space from looking too flat, pair with a geometric rug that features a varied pattern for a dynamic feel.

Bedroom in black and grey monochrome with an abstract geometric rug

Choose pieces that reflect your style

As with any room, funky decor is all about self-expression. Start with pieces you love, experiment with a few bold accents, and let the space evolve. Think of this guide as a starting point to help you craft rooms you’ll love coming home to day after day.