Anyone who is familiar with Christopher Lowell’s Seven Layers of Design, knows that layer number four is all about accessories and fabrics. In this article, we’re going to look at how different fabrics, can totally change the look of a room depending on your mood or on the season. At the very heart of this system is starting with neutral fabrics on your furniture and that allows you to change the look of your room simply by changing a few accessories and fabrics.
To start with, let’s talk about alternating fabrics and accessories to coordinate with the various seasons. For example, when we think of spring, we often think of pastel colors like the lighter yellows and pinks. A room can be dressed up for spring simply by swapping out things like decorative home pillows, curtains, and table cloths. Mixing patterns, can also add interest and draw attention to a certain focal point in a room. For example, a striped pillow in one color, set against a larger checkered pillow in a coordinating color can make for a nice contrast on a winged-back chair.
For summer, cool colors, like moss or aquamarine in your fabrics can give your home or wonderful beach-house feel. Patterns for the summer, usually follow the mantra that simple is better but fun themes like polka dots are also great. In the fall, color start to darken a bit and patterns also become increasingly complex. Finally in winter, it’s time to warm up the home and create a cheery space against the winter’s chill. Again, the patterns are a bit more complex than in summer or spring, paisley for example, but the colors can be a bit warmer than in fall.
Similarly, on that same neutral furniture that you used to create the different looks for each seasons, you can also create a wide host of styles through the smart use of accessories and fabrics. For example if you wanted to go with the more modern, city-inspired look, go with fabrics and pillows that are a few shades darker than the fabric of the furniture. Staying within monochromatic tones will provide that modern look you seek. On the other hand, fabrics that feature flowers, paisley, vineyards etc., can give your home a country-cottage look.
Hopefully by now, you can see by choosing neutral furniture, that whenever you wish, you can change the style of the different rooms in your house. Not only is changing fabrics, accessories and pillows, a lot cheaper than trying to buy all new furniture, but it’s also easier than hauling everything out of the room, repainting, or re-flooring and putting everything back.
Related posts:
