In mixology terms, soft furnishings are the olive in the martini – vital for success
Cushions, throws, quilts, rugs and loose covers are just some of the things that come under the term soft furnishings. They make a house feel lived in and up the comfort factor tenfold as well as serving the drama should you so desire. Here’s a trend alert on where they’re at right now.
Stripes are stars
Classic stripes are an interiors perennial and have been since Jane Austen’s Regency days, but right now they’re the new check. You’ll find them in a slim ticking pattern or bold, wide lines on fabric, which makes cushions the obvious and easiest way to introduce them into a room. And the good thing is they’re like the Labrador of patterns, they’ll mix with anything from florals to block colours.
Colour drenching
This is an interiors trend gaining traction. It involves using a single colour on the walls or floor for impact, then adding variations of that shade on multiple surfaces like the ceiling, woodwork and furnishings. This is Janice Kumar-Ward of JKW Interior Architecture & Design’s favourite new thing. She’s currently working on a project using a steel blue carpet as a base, with almost matching walls and velvet drapery.
A little of everything
This trend is called having your cake and eating it too. So you can mix colour and patterns such as stripes, tartan, pinstripes, florals, delicate patterns, and even check, in varying scales to create texture says New Plymouth interior designer and photographer Gina Fabish. “Mix the classic tried-and-true linen look with chunkier textural weaves for a beautiful nomadic, bohemian look.” Beds lend themselves well to taking a clash of linen, cotton, florals, bright abstract and check patterns.
Quilts vs duvets
These aren’t one and the same. We’re all familiar with the duvet cover into which you put a puffy duvet and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon. However, and conveniently with the onset of winter, quilts are becoming increasingly popular either on their own or atop the duvet. By definition, a quilt is a bed cover that is a single piece of bedding but with a few layers to it. Do make them oversized to the floor, rather than the stingy types that don’t even cover the bed. Janice says she will take a quilt any day. “Quilts have always been my go-to over duvet covers. There’s nothing worse than getting entangled, plus I’m a top sheet lover.”
Cushion matters
Square, rectangular, large or small, cushions have long been acknowledged as the ultimate finishing touch to a room, but that doesn’t mean you want to layer so many on a sofa it becomes buried. Also, not comfortable. Janice says shaped feature designs look best when used on their own to avoid overkill. You don’t want death by a thousand cushions.
Cushions are also wonderful agents of colour for those who prefer neutral tones but want a non-committal way of getting those colour hits.
Using cushions is also a way of reinforcing a tone-on-tone effect for colour drenching in smaller spaces “where you want the look to feel harmonious, but not boring,” says Gina. On the subject of cushions, shaped feature designs look best when used on their own rather than getting lost in a sea of cushions, says Janice.
Unlikely fabrics
Using outdoor fabrics inside is taking off. “With kids, sunlight, dogs and mucky husbands, there are some sumptuous, brightly coloured, patterned outdoor fabrics out there,” says Janice. This type of material is perfect for sunny window seats and heavy use upholstery. “There’s a resurgence of heavyweight cotton canvas that looks like calico and can be very chic. Get it tailor fitted to create a loose cover over a classically shaped armchair.”
Unlikely places
Fabric doesn’t have to be limited to the usual places. Gina is a fan of hanging panels of material to give a room texture or some much-needed pattern. At the moment she’s even hanging panels of fabric instead of a door to a walk-in wardrobe to give it “more of a zen/California-cool relaxed vibe”.
Both Gina and Janice have been using fabric as wall panelling as well. This is particularly recommended for powder rooms, says Janice.
Upholstered dining nooks and banquettes (like the one on our cover) are also a great way to bring in an accent colour and create something that is a lot more visual than standard chairs. They also provide a comfort factor. Let’s face it, who doesn’t try and get the banquette seat (see our cover) as opposed to the chair at a bistro?
Answers to your burning soft furnishings questions
1 How many pillows for one bed?
Leave the scatter cushions alone. “Just simple pillowcases,” says Janice. For one thing you won’t have to spend ages de-cushioning your bed every night.
2 Perfect cushion to sofa ratio?
The ideal cushion count on a sofa is one or two huge ones of around 700cm sq. “They can be used as a weapon, and are also super comfy back support when horizonal couch surfing,” says Janice, who loves them as a minimal look on low, simple sofas.
3 Karate chop? Or not?
“How they land. You won’t catch us chopping cushions,” says Janice. “I like to boof.” Gina agrees, preferring to let cushions fall how they wish. “I’m all for a less formal and controlled look and more about casual and layers.”
Photography by: Are media syndication, Duncan Innes for Janice Kumar-Ward.
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