One thing that's critical to decoration in recent years is the choice of upholstery fabrics and textiles for cushions, curtains and walls, enabling us to achieve the style we want for our homes.
To achieve the kind of spectacular results you want, just read on, because we've prepared a series of tips and tricks that every good decorator and interior designer should know, to combine textures and colours in a given space to perfection!
A good combination of colours and textures will make your living room really cool. Sofa: Siena Collection (514) | Cushions: Siena Collection (514), Eternity (01, 514) and Linova (514) from Book 15 Fashion & Protection of Visual Textures by Aquaclean.
Decorating sofas and armchairs, the kings of the lounge
These are furniture pieces that capture all the attention. Armchairs and sofas are kings. So you have to be very careful when it comes to choosing both the design and the upholstery.
Light colours and small prints
Light colours and small prints give a sense of spaciousness and bring lots of light into a room. On the contrary, dark colours and larger prints give more prominence to the sofa or chair itself within the decoration scheme.
Smooth upholstery with patterned cushions
When you use smooth upholstery with printed or patterned cushions, you avoid overloading the room and bring the focus where you want it, making the sofa or armchair the centre of attention.
Plain and printed. A nice combined touch, but very elegant... don't you think so? Sofa: Siena Collection (54) | Cushions: Eternity Collection (34) and Euforia (54) from Book 15, Fashion & Protection of Visual Textures by Aquaclean.
Washable sofa fabrics
Remember that within the wide range of available upholstery fabrics, some carry special treatments that make cleaning sofas or armchairs much easier, or prevent pet claws from scratching the fabric, and even make your fabric fully fireproof.
Imitation fabrics
As for the styles you can choose for your chair, armchair and sofa upholstery, currently in fashion are the so-called "hand-made" fabrics that imitate knitwork and multicoloured patterns with a very traditional look. You can also choose woven linens for a more rustic style, giving a cosier feel, or fabrics with houndstooth or tweed designs, a really retro British style.
Cushions, the icing on the cake
If your budget is limited, but you want to ensure that the fabrics make your decoration style stand out, cushions are definitely the best option.
Basic cushions
Although we normally think of square cushions, rectangular and round cushions are also a good choice, as they can be combined to create interesting geometric patterns, giving greater dynamics to your sofa.
Opposing combinations
To get a nice contrasting effect, you can use a base colour that combines well with the sofa and then let your imagination fly. There are hundreds of prints that will round out your scheme, it's just a question of deciding what style you want. Flowers, animal prints, geometrics... the possibilities are endless!
Play around with textures
You can also play around with cushions in the same colour but with a different kind of texture: velvet, chenille, damask, silk or linen. Texturing is sure to give you a more natural feel.
And don't forget the curtains...
Last but not least, your choice of curtain material is just as important as the two previous choices, and again, you have lots of possibilities, depending on your decorative needs, space, style and your budget.
Loose-weave fabrics
To get maximum lighting in your lounge, try using loose-weave, gauzy fabrics with lots of drape, in light colours. Open-weave linens and transparent fabrics will allow the sunlight to pour into the room and give you a more spacious sensation.
Printed fabrics
If you have lots of prints on your upholstery, try making your curtains smoother and plainer. Or vice versa, if you want curtains with bold prints and colours, tone down your upholstery for a good contrast. You can also combine your curtains with your upholstery fabric and go crazy on your cushions. That will give you a perfect finishing touch to your scheme.
Make the right choice of fabric
Make sure you think things through when it comes to your curtain material. What will your kids or your pets do to your curtains? If your dream curtains are going to become your cat's favourite hiding place, or your son's brand-new superman cape, choose cottons or linens that are practical and easy to clean. But if your curtains are out of harm's way – chocolate, crayons and paints – maybe silk, organza or velvet will give your room an extra touch of elegance, if that's what you want.
As you can see, fabrics and upholstery always have to be chosen in terms of real-life situations – but they can always be unique and beautiful anyway! Now it's your turn to put all this into practice!
