It's no surprise that Italians love color and patterns.

Take one step inside any of Italy's museums or churches and look in all directions -- you'll be rewarded with a dizzying masterpiece of beautiful geometrics and renaissance patterns.
When it comes to interior design, at Giadzy we love finding new sources of inspiration, so we looked at one of Italy's most famed and pattern-centric fashion designers, Dolce & Gabbana, to lead the way.  Their recent collection of Majolica dresses are printed in a collage of traditional Italian tiles and citrus fruit patterns that can easily be translated into affordable decorating ideas at home.

Combining patterns can take some practice, but follow these tips and you'll be mixing and matching in no time. And above all, don't be afraid to try it!

• Create layers of patterns together with table settings or using decorative pillows in the living room, but be sure to use similar colors throughout to pull the look together.
• If your style is more minimal, start with a simple Italian ceramic tile to use as a coaster.  Get comfortable with mixing patterns by using a variety of individual designs for a unique coaster collection. When they are dispersed throughout a room it won't seem like that many patterns at once.
• Look for repetition when combining the patterns, either choose one color and mix and match everything monochromatically or repeat one of the patterns in various ways around the room.
• Lemons are one of Giada's favorite ingredients to cook with, but they are also popular in Italian interior patterns as well.  Don't be afraid to mix citrus or fruit motifs with geometrics. This will make using multiple patterns less dizzying if there are larger areas of color (like lemons!) to look at.

How do you translate these colorful patterns at home?
 
Accent Walls:
Italians are known for their hand painted tiles in striking rich colors of cherry reds, sunny yellows and ocean blues.  Use ceramic tiles or tile decals to create a backsplash or fun accent wall in an entryway, living room or bathroom. This can be done as a stripe or just evenly disperse a few accent tiles on the wall for a more subtle effect.  You can even experiment with creating artwork for the wall by covering small square canvases with tile decals.

Removable Peel and Stick Floor Tile Stickers

Italian Tiles Stickers - Pack of 9 tiles
 
Floor To Ceiling:
Wallpaper has made a huge comeback and there are many Italian inspired designs to choose from.  With citrus wallpaper, incorporate geometric patterns elsewhere in the room to truly get the Dolce & Gabbana effect.  For an eye-catching statement, alternate strips of different patterns on the front steps of stairs or inside bookshelves.  Remember to repeat some of the colors in different patterns for a cohesive look.

Lemons Wallpaper in Orange

Wallpaper in Bellini
 
For The Minimalist:
With a few simple staples like spatulas or salt and pepper shakers, you can get that pop of Italian style instantly and with ease.  Source a few different ceramic tiles to use as coasters or a larger one to display a vase or plant.

Sicily Silicone Spatulas

Anthropologie Eres Collection