Soft furnishings are some of the quickest and easiest ways to update a space – this is why they are often the first pieces you want to buy. When you add cushions, throws, curtains, and rugs, you are bringing color, texture, comfort, and weight to the space. However, if not used carefully, it can easily become too busy. Here is some information on how to choose the right textiles.
Think about it, you’ve got five cushions, all different colors, a printed throw, strong print curtains and a rug and you start to wonder why the room looks a bit busy… and then you realize all these items are adding pattern and weight to the space. The cushions could be solid colors, or the rug could be neutral. But if they are all adding pattern and different types of textiles then it becomes visually distracting. There is nothing wrong with this, however if you add a patterned, colorful cushion you might want to keep a throw more neutral, or a rug simpler.
Think about the largest textile in the space first. This is usually the curtains or the rug in a living room and usually the bedding in the bedroom. Textiles are a huge part of the visual appeal so don’t just treat them as an after thought. Let the cushion and curtains pick up the colors and textures from the rug, or if the curtains are simple in color and texture, then the cushions can bring a little bit more color into the room. Just don’t let everything fight for attention; let the larger textiles take the lead and keep smaller accents more subtle.
Take a look at the soft furnishings and divide them into calm, texture and color. Calm might look like solid color curtains, neutral colored throw or a basic rug. The textures might be linen, wool, boucle, cotton, velvet or woven. The final group is the most colorful and patterned pieces. Are they all colorful or patterned then the room will feel quite busy. If one or two are simple then they add interest and keep things feeling more relaxed.
Another thing to think about is the size, a room feels busy if the textiles don’t complement it. Too small rug can feel as if your furniture is placed randomly, curtains that are too short might make the walls appear as if they are too short and too large. Or too many cushion sizes and styles can appear a bit fussy and not very balanced. Before you decide to add more soft furnishings to your space, think about the cushions and the size of your rug and the curtains you have in the space. If you want to bring a new rug into the room then the previous rug might not have been a large enough size, instead of a new throw and cushions, you might want to find the right length for the curtains.
A great exercise to try is to remove all your soft furnishings and cushions from a room and add them back slowly. Start with the rug or curtains then bring in a few soft furnishings. This will make it easier for you to see where the cushions might belong in the space, and you can pause and add one more texture rather than color at any given time. You will then be able to decide if more cushions or throws would improve your room or if you are finished already.
The easiest way to avoid over decorating is to make each soft furnishing count and make it work with everything else. For example, a cushion can add in another accent color from an art print, a throw adds softness to a leather chair or a couch. Curtains can be used to calm down a brightly painted wall and a rug can bring all your furniture together in one area. Each textile has a function, but when all the cushions in a space aren’t adding to the design then the room will appear as if it is full of random purchases.