Textiles can make a big difference in a space, making it more inviting and cozy – but choosing and combining them can be intimidating. So here are some helpful tips on where to add more fabric elements to your space and how to mix and match effectively. And I’ll share some great fabric resources with you, too!
1. Add throw pillows. This is the easiest and cheapest way to add textiles to your home. I mean, what’s better than sinking into a pile of fluffy pillows? This is a great way to ease into mixing patterns too. Be sure to have one unifying color in all of the pillows, and try to vary the size and scale of the patterns. Here are some great decorative pillow sewing tutorials. Can’t sew? No problem! Try these.
2. Make an upholstered headboard. Bring comfy to the next level with a padded, fabric-covered headboard for your bedroom or guest room. There’s something so luxurious about a soft upholstered headboard, isn’t there? We just did a roundup on this very topic… so head over here to see ten gorgeous DIY fabric headboard projects.
3. Beef up your curtains. Maybe you don’t have curtains on some of your windows, or perhaps you do but they’re not very exciting. Try mounting double curtain rods and put a set of sheer curtains on the inner rod, with more dramatic ones on the outer rod as shown above. Or, you could always add trim around the edges of your existing window treatments.
4. Add upholstered accent furniture. This doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds. Dining chairs are a great place to start – buy some fabric that incorporates the main color in your dining room and and use this tutorial to re-cover your seats. You could also buy a fabric ottoman, bench or chair.
5. Scatter small fabric accents around your space. One of my favorite tips is to add fabric to the back of a bookshelf. Find out how to do it here. You could also try making fabric wall art, creating your own tea towels or even covering books with fabric. And here are lots of other small-scale ideas.
And now, as promised, below are a few of my favorite online fabric stores:
Pink Chalk Fabrics – Great customer service, and they sell patterns too
Fashion Fabrics Club – Affordable with a huge selection
Michael Levine, Inc. – Easy search options, lots of specialty fabric
Gorgeous Fabrics – Large selection with lots of knits
Spoonflower – Design your own fabric!
