How to choose soft furnishings to achieve a beautiful room

Cushions and throws are the little things in a room that make a big difference and are the perfect way to make a room feel complete and bring in a touch of colour and texture. While your sofa / bed style will set the scene for your living room and bedroom decor, to take it a notch higher you need to find the right cushions and throws to accessorise with. Unlike choosing a bold print in sofa/bedhead upholstery that you might love today but feel stuck with two years down the line, it is far more cost effective to update your decor simply by changing your cushions and throws from time to time, or even from one season to the next. Use an odd number of cushions because when it comes to design, odd numbers tend to be more artful. There is such a thing as ‘too many pillows’; so unless you are trying to achieve an eccentric decor, you should keep the numbers balanced. You want to accentuate your furniture, not hide it behind piles of cushions and pillows in varying sizes and colours. A good rule of thumb: if you have to move the cushions away to sit /lie down comfortably, you’ve got too many.    

Budget Tips

Finding a way to repurpose or recover the cushions you already have is the most eco-friendly option. Stunning fabric sources can come from unlikely places if you are open to them. Vintage scarves, fabric remnants, knitted jumpers, even old drapes and mohair coats have been turned into cushions. For all those cushion addicts out there, we find the best way to manage your addiction is to keep your cushion covers only (discarding or giving away the inserts) and change your cushions over as and when you like. This is a great way of keeping a collection of cushions for all tastes and seasons rather than having a cupboard full of bulky cushions that take up space.    

Designer Tips

If you can’t find what you like in store shelves, designing your own cushions is a great solution. If you are handy with a sewing machine you will be able to manage simple squares and rectangles. If not, or if you want details like piping or tassels, check with an upholsterer or seamstress specialising in decor. We have helped many clients with customised cushions and though it might sound expensive, when you factor in the cost of fabric per metre – as that is all you will need for two 40 x 40cm - the actual pricing of such cushions means they are not that much more expensive and in some cases cheaper than an equivalent designer cushion purchased off-the-shelf. We also find a generous feather fill always lends a luxurious touch, even in a casual room. In fact, while many synthetic fibre fillings get compressed with daily use eventually resulting in a flattish silhouette, down and feathers can be plumped up to their original volume.   For more information, visit http://www.joannafordinteriordesign.com.au