07 Apr Interior Design Tips: How to Choose Fabric
Some may think it’s a strange place to start but more times than not I begin a new design project with fabric selections. Maybe it has something to do with the many patterns and color choices, or the amazing way a silk or chenille feels, but this selection process is one of my most favorite. I use fabric as my springboard into other aspects of the project. It helps set my color palette, the mood of the space, and is just an overall great way to get things rolling. I may not use all my initial options, and the combinations may change, but it helps me find the direction and feel of the project.
Fabric can take a good design and really punch it up. In the kitchen of the horse farm below, I used fabric in the window and on the bar stools to soften the heavy lines of the cabinetry, the tile floor and back splash, and the siding on the ceiling. The vision was always to have a lot of wood, and I loved that aspect, but the fabrics took some of the edge off. By choosing lighter colors for my fabrics, it also gave the space a little life and brightness. The decorative border of the valance and the embroidered fabric on the back of the bar stools provide interesting but simple details and are a great way to blend the colors I used throughout the space. I chose a gray vinyl for the seats and inside backs of the bar stools because a fabric, no matter how gorgeous, still has to work with my client’s lifestyle.
Layering different fabrics into a room setting creates interest. In the living room pictured below I chose a soft butter-colored chenille for the sofa, then added beautiful deep blue velvet pillows for a punch of color and striped silk pillows for pattern and sheen. The three different textures work really well together and the muted, large-scale damask pattern on the chairs adds another dimension to space. I love the shimmer the faux silk drapes bring and the blue banding mirrors the blue from the velvet pillows.
As always my goal is to interpret my client’s wishes into a design that makes them feel at home. For this project I looked for ways to showcase my client’s artwork and inherited family furniture pieces. The art drove the color choices and the family pieces drove the fabric selections. The geometric and floral patterns on the pillows brought the bright colors from the artwork into the center of the space. I chose the geometric pattern because it worked so well with the graphic nature of several of the homeowner’s pieces. The bright blue vinyl—again, so easy to take care of—on the bar stools was also a nod to the art pieces throughout the space.
I love creating the right mood for a space with just the right fabrics. For me fabrics are often the first step in the process and I can always count on them to add depth and complexity to any design.
No Comments