When picking out pieces for your interior you could be forgiven for thinking that once the big pieces such as the chest of drawers, living room table or wardrobe are picked that the room is pretty much done. However don’t forget the importance of the fabric and finishes that are going to be used in your room and the impact that choices you can make her can have on your space. A heavy velvet damask curtain will give a totally different feel to a lightweight neutral linen one. And as such, these seemingly small decisions can make huge differences in terms of atmosphere style and finish.
Get your decisions right first time by sticking to our top tips.
First Time
If this is your first home or your first time picking out the fabric and finishes then the best advice is to stay neutral at first to build your confidence. Neutral colours and patterns don’t follow fashion trends and so will look classic and cool for years to come rather than quickly dating and needing changing or updating. This is particularly important for larger pieces such as three piece suites which can be a really expensive mistake if you get it wrong.
Use and Abuse
Remember that some pieces of furniture will take more wear and tear than others; curtains are more likely to stay clean even in light colours than a regularly used armchair for example. So pick and chose fabrics accordingly, hard wearing, touch and maybe even wipe clean for seating and more delicate or harder to care for in less used areas. If you are trying to stick to a neutral palette then consider navy blue, charcoal grey and chocolate brown for sofas and armchairs as these are all deep colours that will hide a million sins and yet can also be fitted into most colour schemes.
Swatch and Select
Before making any final decisions always request a fabric sample, sometimes called a swatch, so that you can see the fabric in the flesh up against existing pieces and wall decor. Scans do not give the proper colour and can be misleading plus mistakes made from pre printed promotional materials often cannot be rectified at a later date so it is best to take the time at this stage and make sure it is right. All major stores offer this service now, even online retailers such as Peelmount. If swatches aren’t available then visit a different store, they are essential to making well informed decisions that will be right for you and your home.
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