Designer Fabrics Archives

Office Chair Makeover

September 24, 2015

I bought a new office chair months ago and knew that I wanted to give it a little makeover. The chair is the Pearson Desk Chair from Ballard Design and I found it at the outlet store for $39, a big discount off of its regular price of $249.

When I first told you about the chair, I had replaced the casters with metal ones and I was debating between painting the frame gold or black and had also narrowed down several fabric options.

Well, I decided on a gold frame and made a slight change in the fabric.

Here’s the new look of my desk chair…

I used Rustoleum Specialty Metallic Gold Spray ( a great gold spray paint) paint and applied two coats to the frame. To add an additional layer of protection to the frame I sprayed on two coats of Krylon Clear Gloss Acrylic Coating.

The fabric I decided to use is a leopard print velvet that I snagged during a fantastic sale at Boca Bargoons here in the Atlanta area. The fabric was originally $59.99 a yard but the store had a weekend sale with select fabrics 75% off so it only cost me $15.00/yd. I bought enough to cover my chair seat and make a pillow.

Even though I had originally planned to use a larger scale pattern I love how this fabric looks with the gold frame. And at $15.00 I won’t feel guilty if I decide to change it up in the future.

I’m glad to have another project checked off the to-do list and now I can definitely work in style!

Fabric Trends

August 13, 2015

I’ve been on the hunt for a few fabrics and decided to take a spin through Forsyth Fabrics here in Atlanta. Forsyth is one of my go-to sources for moderate priced designer fabrics and you’ll always find the latest fabric trends in their aisles. Because the fabric industry is changing and manufacturers and retail stores are producing less fabric, more and more of the fabrics carried at Forsyth have to be special ordered. Even so, they still have a good selection of cut and take fabrics so this is where I shop for personal projects I’m working on.

Let’s take a look at see what’s trending in designer fabrics…

Malachite patterns have been around for decades but really resurfaced a few years ago in textiles and decor. This was the only malachite fabric I could find at Forstyle and even through it has to be special ordered, its definitely worth the wait.

I’ve been seeing military green showing up in fall fashion so it makes sense that it’s a big trend in upholstery fabric. I can’t jump on this color bandwagon just yet but it might grow on me.

The emerald green trend is also continuing with muted variations showing up in classic fabric patterns.

I don’t think teal will ever go out of style or paisley prints for that matter.

These bold colors can always be found in upholstery fabrics but they feel a bit ‘past their time’ to me.

One of my favorite color combinations lately is orange and grey. I would love to design a bedroom around these colors.

The with popularity of blue and white in decor, I totally expected to see lots of navy fabrics and I did. I really loved the middle batik inspired print which would make a beautiful pair of drapes or a chair fabric.

Classic black and white with a touch of neutral, always timeless. The zebra print is just begging to be on a pair of footstools or made into pillows.

Raised relief designs are popping up more and more and these embroidered looks felt really fresh.

I may be the only one but I’m kinda liking that this golden rod color is coming back into style. That top fabric had lots of texture and was really beautiful.

Forsyth Fabrics also has a clearance room where you can find short lengths of fabric and trim at great prices. I snagged remnants of these two fabrics to ~~hoard~~ use on a future project.

It’s good to have Forsyth just a short drive from my house so I can indulge my fabric habit whenever I want.

If you’re not in Atlanta, don’t worry. You can shop all of the fabrics available at Forsyth on their website and get delivery right to your door.

Nate Berkus Fabrics at JoAnn

September 3, 2014

I love that so many top designers are partnering with big box retail stores and making their product accessible to the masses. Nate Berkus has definitely hit a home run with his home decor line at Target and now a selection of custom fabric designs are available at JoAnn Fabric.

Like most of Nate’s products, the patterns in the Nate Berkus fabric line available at JoAnn’s have a fresh and modern feel and come in classic colors.

There are 20 pattern/color options and the prices range from $9.99 to $27.99 per yard.

After taking a look at the fabric line, I got to thinking about how I’d use my favorite styles. Here’s the inspiration that Nate inspired…

I’m a big fan of yellow when it comes to decorating and this Ameil Dot Paramount pattern in citrus is just begging to go on a pair of stylish X benches. I envision them at the foot of a bed or placed under a white console table in a foyer.

I love fabric headboards but I’m ready to see less solid colored linen and more patternwork. The ethnic modern feel of the Linea Paramount pattern would be a fun way to dress up a softly shaped headboard.

Bold prints are one of my favorite decor statements and the colors and design of this Timur Sussex in Ginger is a statement pattern. I can see a pair of tufted chairs in this fabric, paired with a stately leather sofa and sisal rug. Oh, I’d add in a couple of brass end tables for that something shiny that I think every room needs.

Close your eyes and imagine this curved back arm lounge chair upholstered in this seastone colorway of the Dari Mosaic Paramount fabric. Prop your feet up on an ottoman and you’ll have a perfect spot to relax and rewind.

This Indre Lynwood pattern is one of my favorites in the entire line and I’d love to upholster a classic bench with bolster pillows in this ginger color. This pattern is also available in navy and dove grey which make it versatile enough for just about anything you can imagine.

While I’m on the subject of Nate, have you checked out his new collection at Target? The pillows in this collection are on the top of my list…

Zig Zag Pillow

Faux Fir Pillow

Faux Fir Floor Pillow — I’m envisioning movie night by candlelight with these floor pillows!

So which one of Nate’s fabrics is your favorite?

Best of Etsy: SassyShades

August 2, 2013

I was recently looking for new lampshades for a project and thought about checking out Etsy. Boy was I amazed at how many great handmade lampshades there were on the site. One of the shops that stood out to me was SassyShades run by Kristi in my home state of Washington. Kristi has crafted some really stylish shades using some of the most popular designer fabrics, stylish patterns and on-trend colors. I really love the tall drum shades she sells and the small chandelier drum shades which are really unique.

Here are just a few of my favorite shades from SassyShades.

Red Greek Key / Lime Ikat / Coffee Bean Ikat

Grey Trellis / White Chenille / Mix & Match Chandelier Drums

Grain Sack / Modern Taupe / Coral Trellis

Juicy Orange / Grey Dotkat Drum / Rosy Red Vintage

and

Williamsburg Blue Drum Shade

SassyShades also offers COM (customers own material) if you have a fabric in hand and want a lampshade made. If you’re in the market for a unique lampshade SassyShades is a great source for drum shades and more traditional bell shades. Finding stylish lampshades has just gotten easier with SassyShades.

To see the entire collection of SassyShades head here.

images via SassyShades on Etsy