Pin Down a Fabric for Your Couch

So you have noticed a couch that you have enjoyed on , or perhaps you’re lusting after a piece on your chosen furniture store. But now you’re wondering: Can the fabric be durable? Can it mix in with your layout style? Can it stand out just enough? Fortunately, most furniture shops will let you chose from a wide selection of fabrics or even use your own for an extra fee. Get ideas for your next sofa fabric from some of those gorgeous examples.

jamesthomas Interiors

Velvet has the ability to instantly make the simplest of sofa shapes seem elegant and supple. It’s not restricted to a particular decorating style or doctrine, possibly: an English rolled-arm sofa, a French-inspired settee or a streamlined couch can all benefit from this luxurious fabric.

Atmosphere Interior Design Inc..

In this living area designed by Atmosphere Interior Design for the HHL Grand Prize Show Home, blue shadow adds elegance and elegance into an otherwise linear sofa while still keeping the style contemporary.

Adeeni Design Group

At a Tudor-style cabin, a velvet rolled-arm couch paired with a leather seat and a zebra ottoman for an English, masculine vibe shows how versatile this fabric is.

Vintage Renewal

Whenever you’ve got an amazing sofa frame — vintage (as in this picture), fresh or custom made — a good velvet fabric will let the silhouette of your sofa glow.

Velvet made from cotton or linen is considerably stronger than silk velvet and is also less stain likely. There’s no denying silk velvet is the fairest of them all, but cotton and linen keep the look and texture that draw many people to velvet in the first location.

TILTON FENWICK

If you choose a fabric that is easier to look after, you can still make a style statement. A bold solid color will make your sofa the focus of your living room.

Jan Skacelik

If you’re falling for a colorful strong, it’s time to be honest with yourself: Would you live with this much color on such huge part of furniture? If the answer is yes, just make sure you keep the other bits in the area fairly simple so they won’t contend with your huge invoice sofa. Additionally, carry the color you choose throughout the room so the sofa doesn’t stick out.

Two excellent examples of taking color throughout are the ikat cushions in the previous photo, that have shots of the exact same teal as the sofa, as well as the yellow touches from the artwork above Jan Skacelik’s yellow sofa in this photo. Recall: Just a little goes a very long way.

Economy Interiors

Bold color isn’t for loved ones, home or each layout plot. But that doesn’t mean that your sofa has to be boring. Adding a detail like tufting will instantly add oomph into the most ordinary neutral fabric.

Add piping in a contrasting color to have a wow factor, or go for graceful and subtle with beige piping on a white sofa.

Chronicle Books

A big-scale pattern can make or break a room. Be sure to keep the rest of your decor minimal and think twice before making such a commitment. If you’re bold enough to choose a pattern, it can look nothing short of fantastic if executed beautifully.

Burnham Design

Restricting your patterned upholstery into a smaller piece or anchoring it to a corner or a wall will produce the look easier for the eye to digest. Here, Betsy Burnham married a gorgeous orange and cream ikat into a window-seat sofa, repeating the colors in the drapery to produce the effect more jarring.

Vanni Archive/Architectural Photography

If you adore pattern but bold statements are not your style, tone-on-tone or small patterns read nearly as neutrals but still add a subtle element of elegance and surprise.

Julie Holloway

If you’ve got young kids or pets, there is no doubt slipcovers are the most sensible solution. Go for cotton or linen, that are easy to care for and occasionally seem even better with time. Embrace their signature natural look by pairing them with other all-natural components, like wood furniture, sisal rugs and a wool toss.

Your Guide to Stylish Slipcovers

Slipcovers supply a fantastic opportunity to have a little fun. Experiment with stripes or another fun pattern you like and accessorize the room so, like with this coastal-chic room.

More:
Hunker Down Having a Built-In Couch

A Study from the Classics: The Chesterfield Sofa

ers, tell us: How can you pick your couch fabric? Share your thoughts and pictures below in the Comments section.

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Renovation Detail: The Knee Wall Railing

The term “knee” is based on the institution together with the vertical location of an individual knee, making the ordinary knee railing under 3 ft in height. Known for its charming aesthetic and extra privacy, this style railing is located on many old houses, particularly those of Craftsman or foursquare design.

Upon close review, my husband and I discovered that the first railing on our 1920s Craftsman house was the traditional knee. Why the previous owner replaced it with decorative iron railings is past us.

Employed on porches, knee walls can help safeguard your house in the elements, grant lounging privacy and dramatically dress up your home’s facade. I look forward to bringing our entrance porch back into its roots!

FGY Architects

This stunning set of wicker furniture is sound and safe as a result of the extra protection provided by the porch’s knee railings.

LLC, Melaragno Design Company

Collectively, stone piers, timber tapered columns and a stone knee wall make a stately Craftsman partial-width front porch.

Lifetime Remodeling Systems

All these privacy-creating knee walls are finished with cedar lap siding. Consisting of planks which are thicker on one edge than the other, the bottom (thick) border of one board overlaps the upper (thin) border of the board below it.

Huestis Tucker Architects

A wood-shingled knee square and wall railings were paired together with this waterfront home. Porch dwellers are given privacy whilst also being able to enjoy the view. It Connecticut attractiveness.

Hewn and Hammered

A full-width front porch would be the focus of this home’s exterior. It features a wide concrete stairs and stucco knee walls and piers.

Katerina Tana Design

Thanks to the privacy supplied by knee railings, Katerina Tana managed to produce an intimate lounge with this California porch.

Bella Homes

This Iowa home features a facade. With three concrete steps flanking stone knee walls, the ideal Craftsman-style front porch is created.

Kipnis Architecture + Planning

A full-width front porch with brick columns and knee walls is often located on the American foursquare-style home, just as you see here.

FGY Architects

Supporting the mother of pergolas, a knee wall surrounds this stunning Palo Alto, California, patio.

Brooks Ballard

A front entry roof, triangular knee brace supports, timber tapered columns, cedar shingles and brick knee walls and pedestals combine to make this classic Craftsman.

More:
The Tapered Craftsman Column

The Craftsman Front Door

12 Ways to Prep the Porch for Summer

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Tiny Fold-Out Apartment in Barcelona

It’s difficult to say what’s more striking about this exceptional living space in Barcelona — the 360-degree rooftop perspective, the outside bathtub and beautiful patio, or the hidden panels which allow for a fully functional living space. Photographer Christian Schallert happened upon this space and fell head over heels for its great location and stunning roof deck. However, at only 260 square feet, the miniature and barren space left a lot to be desired.

Architect and He Barbara Appolloni, a friend, developed a special design which allows the flat to operate in different modes — every single appliance and piece of furniture is tucked into a hidden panel. By opening and closing panels, Schallert can adjust the flat to his needs of the moment, if he is cooking, taking a shower or sleeping.

Churreria Photography

Since the flat is such a little area, there wasn’t any other option than to create it as flexible as possible. Schallert worked with Appolloni to come up with a practical design that will work because of his lifestyle. “I essentially had to compose an specific collection of all of my possessions that would need to fit into the flat,” Schallert says.

The result: Everything is within reach and in its assigned area. A fold-out panel acts as a desk, panels pop open to reveal storage, and the bed pulls in and out of a massive slot as needed. “It’s almost like living in a huge closet,” Schallert says.

Churreria Photography

Schallert lived in this area for a couple of years. (He owns the home but currently lives in a different part of the city.) He traveled and worked a lot, so he did not spend much time there. When he awakened in the morning, he pushed in the bed to create a living space to welcome him home in the end of the day.

The panels and floor on this side of the unit are made from a mixture of compressed concrete and wood called Viroc. The substance has an industrial appearance but is not as hard as concrete. It doesn’t get too cold in the winter and functions nicely in the summertime also.

Before Photo

Churreria Photography

BEFORE: Schallert was not looking for an apartment when he found this space. After a person stuck a sticker on his photography studio’s window about it, he randomly chose to have a look. “I fell in love with it although it was actually only a couple of square meters where pigeons dwelt,” Schallert says. “I simply loved the old building and this incredible 360-degree perspective of Barcelona.”

Churreria Photography

AFTER: Six months after, Appolloni and Schallert had shifted the unit, packing it full of multiple-use concepts. “It’s like having one home packed into one area,” he says.

Churreria Photography

The kitchen is all tucked into one side of the space. An integrated refrigerator, an electric stovetop, a sink, a freezer, a microwave and a dishwasher have assigned spaces. At mealtimes, the dining table is pulled out together with all the kitchen appliances.

Churreria Photography

Afterward, everything is cleaned up and tucked away. The bed is pulled out, the TV turns in the wall toward the bed and the area transforms to a sizable hotel-style bedroom.

This remodel took approximately six months to complete. Due to the character of the undertaking, Schallert and Appolloni needed to find some particular structure permits.

Before Photo

Churreria Photography

BEFORE: Even though Schallert initially imagined living in a dream loft in Barcelona’s cool el Born district, he also adored the problems this bare-bones area introduced. “I took the challenge and transformed this pigeonhole to a James Bond kind of flat,” he says.

Churreria Photography

AFTER: The toilet is the only private area in this apartment. It’s in a little room with a little window behind a hidden door beside the sink. The shower glass cube and sink stay out of the way of the bedroom and kitchen styles against this particular wall.

Churreria Photography

A 65-square-foot elevated balcony is simply outside the bed area; the bed is pushed there when it is stored away. If it is time to pull it out again, Schallert simply pulls on a leather strap attached to the end of the bed frame.

Churreria Photography

There is another 200 square feet of patio area up a flight of stairs in the smaller balcony. Schallert set up an outdoor tub for 2 and a convenient washer and dryer here. Barcelona is a sunny town, so it made sense to get the most out of the outside area.

Churreria Photography

A big outdoor sofa provides the perfect place to enjoy the Spanish sunshine. Schallert occasionally hosted dinner parties with this patio for up to five individuals.

Although this space worked for Schallert, he admits it isn’t the ideal setup for everyone. Since he was single and able to maintain all of his job things at his office (only around the corner), it was easy for him to keep everything tidy and clean. “You’re almost forced to be organized. Otherwise it is one huge mess in five minutes,” he says.

More Tours:
400-Square-Foot Unfolding Flat
Ingenious Toilet Makeover in Bordeaux
A Guesthouse and Grotto at 68 Square Feet

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11 Space-Savvy Alternatives to Wine Cellars

I have had some clients recently explain the value of wine in their homes. Some are involved with wine groups; others just have a weekend ritual of tasting and journaling about new wines. Do you love wine tasting and want to exhibit several favorite bottles in your house? Or do you just need some sensible, low-budget storage tips for your little assortment of pinot noir?

You will find some fairly magnificent wine cellars around. There’s not any doubt that these spaces are beautiful and well designed. But, there are many straightforward ideas you can incorporate into your house without excavating a basement or adding square footage. Pour yourself a glass and then raise a toast to these.

Montgomery Roth Architecture & Interior Design

Add shelves into an area next to a counter or peninsula rather than hanging art or other wall treatments. X-shelves are fantastic for holding wine bottles.

SK Designers – Shimrit Kaufman

Contain some wine cubbies in an island. The storage area in an island can at times be shallow due to clearance for plumbing or gas lines. This is the best opportunity to incorporate a location for wine in the cabinet design.

Charmean Neithart Interiors

Stylize a wall. This excess wall has been wallpapered with burlap with hung with replicating store-bought wine racks. A walnut ledge delivers a location for glasses during tastings. The labels are above illuminated by Lighting.

Rightwise

Look under the stairs. Many staircases have untapped storage area underneath. This is the perfect place.

Rossington Architecture

Use a island corner for small-scale refrigeration. This undercounter wine fridge is only 18 inches wide. It has one temperature zone for those special bottles that need to be chilled.

RTA Studio Residential Architects

Design shelves for a corner banquette. All these X-shelves take up minimal space. The dining table can hold wine-tasting glasses when it’s not used for dining table.

Ken Gutmaker Architectural Photography

Think about your kitchen storage in a way. Rather than having doors on all your upper cupboards, turn one cabinet into handy wine storage.

House of Bohn

Or take advantage of an excess bottom cabinet. Many cabinetmakers have a lot of styles of wine racks that they could integrate into your built-ins.

Wine Country Craftsman

Select wine-inspired furniture. This grapevine dining table creates a lovely tasting spot. Small enough to fit in small areas, it can double as a breakfast table or work surface. Display bottles on top with glasses and openers.

J. Hirsch Interior Design, LLC

Use a wine jar in a gorgeous holder as an accessory. Display in full opinion bottles that don’t need to be chilled. The labels can be beautiful and add a personal touch. Also observe the wine cone repurposed as a stool.

Karen Schaefer Louw

Get creative with your storage. All these terra-cotta pipes are cut to match wine bottles. I love the earthy color and feel of this display. As a bonus, the terra-cotta helps keeps the wine in a cool temperature.

More: Browse wine storage ideas in the Products section

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Decorate With Intention: 10 Strategies to Maximize a Little Space

I love living and decorating in tiny spaces. When all of the design components are working in harmony, it’s like living in an efficient little vessel, with every square inch set to work with. Little means different things to different people, but if you live in a 1,200-square-foot cabin or a 350-square-foot studio, then you will find a plethora of techniques you can employ to make the most of what you’ve got. Today we will look at 10 simple ways to enhance any small space.

M.A.D. Megan Arquette Design

1. Use focal walls and vignettes to make”destinations” within your home. The impulse in a small area is frequently to keep things sleek and simple, which can be amazing, but I urge you to consider moving bold instead. Rich paint color and graphic wallpaper that may feel overwhelming at a large room actually looks magnificent in a more compact space. Bonus: It won’t take a lot of the fancy background you’ve had your eye to fill a postage stamp–size room.

Where to put this focal wall? Think about your space concerning zones of use. For instance, you might have an entrance zone close to your front door in which you open the email, and a dining table tucked in the corner by a window. With the addition of an eye-catching element to each zone (a painted or wallpapered wall, interesting artwork, a exceptional chair shape) you can create the feeling of another room. Every mini-destination is just another place for the eye to break, creating a feeling of space.

Gaile Guevara

2. Go for multipurpose furniture. When you live in a pocket-size apartment, you have to create every bit of furniture earn its keep. Poufs or tiny stools may be utilized as tables, footrests or extra seating and are easily tucked away when not in use.

Other adaptive furnishings to contemplate:
• A dining table with leaf extensions
• An ottoman or a seat with built-in storage
• A petite sleeper couch or a daybed for overnight guests
• A pub cart that can hold keys and mail between parties

Michelle Hinckley

3. Unify the room with a single color palette. If you’re able to see from 1 end of your flat to the other without getting up, a general color palette will help pull everything together and make the room feel more expansive. Pairing one main color with a accent hue and filling in with neutrals is an easy way to start. To add interest, consider using the accent color as the main color in a more compact area. As an instance, use navy as the main color with sunny yellow accents at the living room, but choose a bold yellow background in the bathroom.

Tara Seawright Interior Design

4. Use mirrors to make depth. This is probably the oldest trick in the decorator’s book, and with great reason. Mirrors reflect light and views, standing in as extra windows and amplifying the distance. Consider placing a mirror at the entryway, above the mantel or anyplace it will reflect a beautiful view or artwork.

CWB Architects

Want even more out of your own mirrors? Fill a whole wall with mirrors and add mirrored furniture to provide the illusion of another room just beyond view. Placing candles and lovely flowers where they’ll be reflected in the mirror doubles their attractiveness.

greige/Fluegge Interior Design, Inc..

Do not want the trouble of hanging a giant mirror? Create the same effect by hanging a cluster of smaller mirrors rather. No need to match them exactly, but do try to find a theme such as all around mirrors or all bothered wood frames.

LiLu Interiors

5. Open up your floor plan. If you reside in a Victorian flat or a similar area made up of several small, compartmentalized rooms, consider ways of opening the space up. If you have your home and are considering renovations, then removing some dividing walls is generally an alternative. For a faster repair, replace a few solid interior doors with glass doors to connect the rooms. If you are a renter, you still might be able to temporarily eliminate a few doors to boost light and flow.

Jeanne Finnerty Interior Design

6. Keep it clean and clutter free. In a small area, even a few things left out may make the whole place feel like a mess.

Pare down to just your favorite and most crucial possessions, and make a habit of clearing and cleaning clutter at the beginning of each season.

Keeping attractive bowls, baskets, hooks and bins at the prepared will guarantee that picking up is a breeze.

Clutter Clearing 101

MANDARINA STUDIO interior layout

7. Assess the scale of your furniture. Often we try to cram the furniture that functioned in a previous home into the current area, even if the scale is no more a fantastic match for the room. In a small room, you will generally want to prevent the overstuffed and oversize in favor of small pieces. Nonetheless, it’s likely to go a lot, filling the room with too many itty-bitty items. Strive for balance.

Megan Blake Design

8. Lighten up with Lucite, glass and crystal. Clear objects take up hardly any visual distance, which is a fantastic benefit to those people living in tight quarters. Try out a small crystal chandelier, Lucite seats or a glass-top dining table. Want bonus points? Add a mirror to the mixture.

Garret Cord Werner Architects & Interior Designers

9. Save space with swing-arm sconces. Sconces are great space savers, freeing up room on tabletops as well as making it feasible to perform without a table completely. Often seen bedside, swing-arm sconces may also work wonders in a tight corner in the living room or above a desk. Renters take notethe majority of lighting stores offer swing-arm sconces with cord covers, which means that you can just plug them in the wall.

Jamie Laubhan-Oliver

10. Complete every room with a green plant. A fantastic tip no matter the size of your area, but particularly relevant for small space dwellers. Besides cleaning the atmosphere and including a little attention, plants create a feeling of depth, softening the edges of a room and helping us to imagine there’s more distance beyond their borders.

A small home is a opportunity to get creative. Often the very best design alternatives are born of necessity. If you are feeling stuck, consider making a list of items you appreciate about your home or create a design record of inspirational images. Just sitting with a cup of tea and letting yourself daydream can be a wonderful way to produce ideas too.

More:
18 Ways to Make a Little Space Look Larger

Storage Suggestions for Renters

16 Perfect Mirrors

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Painted Fireplace Mantels Add Pizzazz

Twist your fireplace mantel to the showstopper it had been intended to be through paint. And consider colors other than typical white. A fresh paint color can dramatize your mantel, turn the heat up on the surround or require off the attention worn brick, stone or tile. The best method to paint your mantel depends on what it’s made of and the present end on it (and just how many layers of paint it’s). Consult your regional paint shop for hints and what things to use. Listed below are 10 beautiful, colorful mantels to inspire your own projects.

Tina Barclay

A reddish mantel looks spectacular surrounded by warm woods. Black iron and oil-rubbed bronze finishes are great-looking beams for it.

Julie Williams Design

Create a relaxing and tranquil contrast using a deep blue-gray fireplace mantel which has a bit of green. Try Benjamin Moore’s Templeton Gray for a coastal, transitional or traditional appearance.

Kathleen Ramsey

A color like Sherwin-Williams’ Otter adds warmth in a large room. Little tiles used in the fireplace create the surround pop, and rooms with vaulted ceilings feel cozier.

Add color and vibrancy into a fireplace by choosing a new earthy-green finish. Use on a chunky mantel and the eye will concentrate not on the surround but on the fun shade around it.

Green Apple Design

Black is striking and dressy. It may turn a modern fireplace to ultramodern. And it can also seem great when used with rustic components like this ledge rock. It pulls the deep undertones in the stone beautifully.

The Yellow Cape Cod

Use a good-quality high-gloss paint. Use different size paintbrushes to get into small, detailed areas in addition to larger mantel places. A narrow mantel in white can appear skimpy, but you can pump up the volume by painting it the exact same color as your own tiles.

Lawrence Architecture, Inc..

Soften a sharp fireplace mantel in Benjamin Moore’s Abingdon Putty. Here it provides nice added contrast to the remainder of the molding in the room.

Synthesis Design Inc..

In case you have a modern mantel, try out a gray or taupe color like Sherwin-Williams’ Truly Taupe. This will keep the mantel place mild and contemporary.

Warmington & North

Create a large focal point. In case your mantel takes up space, it will appear confident and robust painted a dark espresso like Benjamin Moore’s Branchport Brown.

LDa Architecture & Interiors

I really like this thought. Paint the mantel exactly the exact same color as the wall to make a very dramatic appearance.

More:
Make Your Fireplace the Focal Point
DIY Projects: Updating Your Fireplace
Mantel Mania: Sprucing The Space Above Your Fireplace

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The Family Home: Creative Multi-Use Workspaces

Families everywhere are leaving the traditional house office behind and opting instead for a more family-friendly imaginative area. The modern-day craft area is a place where adults and kids can congregate together, where you could pay your bills while maintaining your eye on the children along with their art jobs. In this week’s installment of The Family Home, we’ll take a peek at eight inspirational rooms, each having a tip of its own.

Integrated

Select a room with great natural light. If you’ve got the option, choose the sunniest room possible for the creative workspace. Rooms with abundant natural lighting are more inviting and best suited for activities that may strain your eyes.

Ninainvorm

Embrace open shelving. It’s important to get lots of supplies available for your children’s use. Make it easy for them to access art equipment, toys and games having an cheap open shelving like this piece from IKEA. If you are not keen on seeing everything stored on the shelves, then try setting things in baskets for a tidier look.

REFINED LLC

Create activity-specific zones. If you intend to use your space for multiple activities, delegate certain places for them. By way of instance, if you like to sew, create a sewing corner. If you’ve got a child who loves to draw, then look at incorporating a drafting table along with all the necessary supplies. This will keep your space organized and also make every member of your family feel at home.

Aesthetic Outburst

Don’t be afraid of color. A creative area is the perfect area in your house to express your daring side. Not willing to devote to aqua walls? Try painting a storage cupboard for a nice pop of color.

Use what you’ve got. There’s no need to buy a bunch of new furniture for your creative area. Look around your house and consider pulling bits from other areas. An old necklace makes a perfect printer stand, also it can house stacks of paper, fabric and other miscellaneous art supplies.

Alan Mascord Design Associates Inc

Be sure there are lots of work surfaces. The purpose of the room is to get the family creating together. Ensuring that everyone has a place and is comfortable should be a high priority.

Phillips Collection

Be imaginative with all the décor. Going daring with the décor in your workspace is an opportunity to show your artistic side. Think about a family art project? It’s possible to create a look similar to this installment by having family members paint bits of white cardstock with watercolors. When you tire of the appearance, just remove it and brainstorm the next project together.

8Foot6

Make it comfortable. The goal is to lure every family member to want to spend time there, even when creating something isn’t the objective. Cozy seating, plush cushions and a few favorite books will lure loved ones in.

More Family Home:
Living Cabinets You Can Stay In
A Kitchen that the Entire Clan Will Love

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