Eclectic Home Furnishings
Neutral Solid Fabrics VS Leathers
Neutral upholstery fabrics like brown, tan and taupe’s are by far the most popular color choice in today’s marketplace. These colors are found in weaves and solids. These colors and types of fabrics work well with leather furniture. Neutral colors of fabric allow you to get really fun and creative with the leather you choose. Leather upholstery is durable and comes in any color you can imagine. So go ahead and have some fun!
Some rooms are done in all leather with throw pillows and rugs used for accent colors while other spaces are filled with more upholstery material and leather is only used on accent pieces. Either way it works. Another very popular choice when using leather furniture is to mix and match the textures weather you do this with all leather or using both leather upholstery and fabric. A common use of all leather mixing is select a darker color of leather for your couch and use a lighter color of leather on the chairs, recliner or accent piece. If you are using a sofa and loveseat I would suggest using the same leather color for each of those pieces. You can also reverse this. Use an upholstery fabric on your sofa and accent the other pieces using genuine leather. Today’s homes are eclectic and mixing patterns, textures, woods and styles is acceptable and actually in most instances preferred. This adds interest and depth to your room. Another thing I like to add is a splash of black in each room somewhere. Sometimes I just use an object like a black picture frame while other rooms I tend to use a heavier object to show the black like a table or cocktail ottoman.
Eclectic Furnishings
Placing traditional pieces with modern or transitional pieces of furniture is perfectly acceptable. It’s Eclectic! Mixing patterns, finishes, florals and strips can create a rooms harmony and rhythm patterns. Leather furniture comes in many styles and hundreds of different patterns and colors. Embossed patterns of leather like croc or tooled leathers are often used on side panels and outback’s as highlights. These designer patterns also make a beautiful cocktail ottoman/table or bench. When choosing the wood finishes for a piece of furniture always choose what looks best with the upholstery or leather. If your leather is dark say a chocolate brown then choose a wood finish that is also dark. Using a lighter stain would draw to much attention to the legs and your eye would be drawn to the floor. It’s OK to use different wood finishes on different pieces of furniture within the same room. It’s kind of like appliances. I have a kitchen that has stainless steel appliances. I love the look but each appliance is from a different appliance company. They are all just a little different but they blend and work in harmony with each other all keeping the look clean and crisp.
Every Room Needs a Leather Accent Piece
I do think that every room should have leather somewhere. If you choose to only add a splash of leather like to an accent chair you can always get a throw pillow to carry the color across the room or get throw pillows made out of the same leather to put on your leather sofa or loveseat. I find changing my throw pillows a few times a year gives my room a whole new look and it is a very inexpensive upgrade. Your home is a reflection of you and it takes on your personality. Have fun, enjoy decorating and then sit back and enjoy the beautiful room you have created. Sophisticated, relaxed or trending modern or perhaps a little bit of each you should be sure to buy quality and you will have many years of worry free enjoyment in your new eclectic room.
