With the rise of popularity in Home Design fabrics by the likes of Cath Kidston and Laura Ashley, fabrics (especially vintage fabrics) are now being incredibly used in modern homes.
Whereas traditionally fabric shops would only market to dressmakers, now fabric shops are changing to cater for a wide variety of DIY projects (most of which are home design oriented).
One of the most common ways to spruce up your house with fabrics is through curtains. By making a new pair of nets and curtains by choosing your own fabric, you can really personalise the look of your rooms. Don’t limit yourself to the living room or the sitting room. Try sewing (or getting them sewed) bedroom curtains that will coordinate with your duvet cover and pillow cases.
In fact, duvet covers and bedding are another fantastic way to introduce new fabrics into your home. If you have the sewing skills to do so, why not create a new bedding set coordinating with bed skirts, bedside table covers, curtains, bed canopy, and ottoman coverings. If not, you can purchase matching bed sets (usually 7 or 9 pieces) from most department stores. The drawback of that would be that you don’t have such a vast array of fabric choice, and also that you will have to adjust the measurements to fit with your requirements.
Another fantastic way of incorporating new fabrics into your home is through scatter pillows and cushions. There are fantastic easy patterns for ‘no-sew’ cushions if you don’t like DIY projects. Scatter pillows can be used nearly anywhere in your home. From the sofa, armchair and settee to kitchen chairs, office chairs, children’s playroom and bedroom, pillows are a beautiful and contemporary decoration for any style. Whether you are furnishing your bachelor pad, or creating a shabby chic paradise, fabric pillows will add a special ‘oomph’ to your style.
Recovering your sofa piece set is also a very financially efficient way of updating your spaces without having to purchase new furniture. You can buy premade sofa covers, or make one yourself. They are a fantastic way to keep the house clean as well (especially if you live with young children or pets) as you can simply pop most of the sofa covers in the washing machine and tumble dryer (some of them will have to be dry cleaned, so be sure to check the label). Sofas are not the only pieces of furniture that can be recovered. Many modern uplighters can be cheered up with a nice floral fabric.
The easiest alternative to using fabrics around the house is by using it as tablecloths and table covers. Coordinating them with place mats is a very sophisticated way of using your favourite designs. Whether you are in love with vintage florals, retro polkas, or burlesque designs, there is always a way to include these beautiful fabrics into your home. Be sure to experiment, take good measurements, and have fun!
