Wouldn’t you love to have a beautiful and functional space where you can relax and enjoy time with your family and friends?
Sometimes we wish to make changes, but do not have the time or patience to go through a complete home renovation. Updates to our home can be taxing, and full renovations can be a significant investment of time and money, especially when those services are in high demand.
Strategic decision-making on high-quality furnishing purchases, as well as their placement, can go a long way. I help many of my clients with paint color and other surface decisions. Many times they choose to update their flooring or countertops, or just the color of their walls. After a color consultation which gives them support and confidence in their selections, I can then select beautiful furnishings that give them the function, comfort, and feel they are looking for!
I would love to share with you the top 5 soft furnishings that can bring your space to a whole new level. These are easily implemented, without the dust and disruption to your life that a full renovation may cause. Let’s jump right in…
1. Wonderful, Purposeful Window Treatments
Quality matters. Spending money on quality interior design, then skimping on window coverings doesn't make any sense. Purchasing window treatments from a department store (yes, even IKEA) and putting them in your tastefully designed space is like putting on a full face of makeup...and wearing pajamas. It simply doesn’t look right.
Window treatments should be an elegant combination of style and purpose. Whether your goal is light filtering or noise control, privacy or just aesthetics, the right window covering can certainly make the room a special place.
Pro Tip: The style of the hardware, fabric, and other accessories are additional aspects that can further personalize your window treatments and elevate your space.
2. Renewed Furniture with Quality Reupholstery
The possibilities are endless when upholstery is involved!
I recently worked with a client who wanted to update her living room. She was ready to jump online and order trendier furnishings that were not nearly as nice as her current furniture.
She wanted to update her dated ottoman and loveseat, but they were still functional, and her family loved their comfort.
Before making any hasty furniture decisions, we did some rearranging and then we updated the art pieces, accessories, and rug.
Only then did we shop for new fabrics to reupholster the furniture and make some new pillows.
The room looks completely different now, and my client was able to customize it to really please herself and her family. I’d call that a success!
Pro Tip: The availability of performance fabrics that withstand pets, children, and the occasional wine spill has made updating our furnishings so much easier. It also allows us to relax and enjoy our homes without worry.
3. Balanced, Beautiful, and Patterned Pillows
The majority of people like symmetry and balance in their spaces. But did you know this can be achieved without necessarily having all of your furnishings match?
A designer look is achieved by mixing textures and patterns to create a room that looks "put together" and intentional, without looking "matchy-matchy".
Pro Tip: Selecting pillows in different sizes and shapes also creates visual interest. It is possible to achieve balance without having perfect symmetry.
4. Practical and Aesthetically Pleasing Area Rugs
Adding beautiful rugs can also increase function and elevate rooms to a more luxurious level. Just like adding mulch to a flower bed makes the flowers and greenery "pop", a beautiful and carefully selected area rug can make your furnishings shine, not to mention that it also adds comfort. Plus, it can buffer sounds, further adding to its functionality.
Pro Tip: When working with busy families with children or pets, I suggest looking for easily cleaned materials, and almost always suggest some kind of pattern, since it will hide small spills; sometimes I even consider the dog's color when choosing floor coverings.
5. Stylish Selections in Forgotten Spaces
Some places we may not consider when refreshing our spaces may be small bathrooms, laundry rooms, entryways, etc. These spaces are important for many different reasons.
When staging a home to sell, one of the most important places to style is the entry, since it is the first place prospective buyers will see. Equally important is the way we feel in our homes and many of these “forgotten” spaces are areas we spend a lot of time in.
Pro Tip: Soft benches, beautiful wall art, accent rugs, and greenery can make these underappreciated spaces special, and when our homes feel special, so do we.
Soft furnishings and accents can make a world of a difference when carefully selected to achieve the feel that you are looking for.
If you're ready to enhance your home with soft furnishings and styling, I’ve got your back! Contact me today and let's get to know each other.
See you soon,
Gloria