Peanut butter and pickles. Cheese on a slice of apple pie. Dipping french fries in a milkshake. One person’s “You’re eating what?!” is another person’s “Yuuummmm!!” It’s partly about taste, of course. But it’s also about personality.
Now that you are craving your favorite secret combination of seemingly incompatible edibles, let’s talk about upholstery. Nonsequitur, you say? Not so. Combining unexpected flavors is a kind of expression of your unique personality. Treating yourself to your own particular brand of yumminess.
The same can be said about choosing upholstery—particularly these days. No matter your design style, nearly every vibe makes room for or revels in accent pieces—those pieces that add a certain design flavor that’s all your own.
Today let’s play with those for a bit. We’ll share some DIY resources from our vault — a bunch, actually — for various pieces that work well as accents. And we’ll pair them with fabrics that shine with personality to help you get some ideas for spicing up your space. Fun things you might not have considered, like black pepper on strawberries. (Yes, that’s a thing.)
Will The Real Dining Chair, Please Stand Up: Give Formal A Personality
Guess who’s coming to dinner? Your sassiest interior design style fantasies, that’s who. Dining rooms and dining room chairs, in particular, are excellent places to add some personality.
Typically, dining rooms are otherwise elegant and formal, so a small bit of upholstery that says “wow” brings a little smile, too. You can serve your guests seating that doubles as great conversation starters without wrecking the elegant vibe.
You’ll hear a lot today from our DIY-guru-in-residence, Aimee Swikit of the Artisan Upholstery Studio. Like her how-to reupholster traditional dining room chairs with contrasting wood frames or dining chairs with removable cushions. She’s even got you covered if you’d like to keep your existing chairs but have them change outfits with this dining chair slipcover DIY.
- For fabrics, how about fun with florals like aqua and teal set in a golden amber woven fabric or a pattern of roses in lush velvet? (We told you things would be playful today!)
Armchairs And Headboards: Use Fabrics To Spice Up Where You Snuggle Up
Make a statement with an armchair, adding personality to a space you can settle into. Check out these DIY videos from Aimee on reupholstering chair cushions for pieces like mid-century modern chairs. Or another one on slipping your favorite chair into a whole new outfit.
- How about fabrics like coffee brown faux cowhide microfiber? Or a different animal print vibe for your chair in linen with a classic blue toile pattern.
And zhuzh-up where you kick back by reupholstering your headboard. Whether you tuft, pipe, flute, or keep it simple, a zhuzhed-up headboard can reinvent your bed and make it all the more inviting. Aimee’s got a simple but strong headboard idea easy enough to do at home. And we’ve got loads of others here for whatever your do-it-yourself skill level is.
- Try drifting off to dreamland in a bed dressed in luxurious blush pink herringbone tweed or a sky blue plush velvet. Because sometimes adding personality isn’t about wild patterns but just about bidding adieu to all the greys and taupes for a minute.
Release Your Sofa’s Inner Diva And Settle Into Movie Night In Style
Of course, an accent can take centerstage in a room instead. Let your personality shine and liberate your sofa’s inner diva with a fresh look. Here again, is a topic near and dear to our largest online furniture upholstery fabric store hearts, so we’ve often covered it on our Get Inspired page. Like this one (from back in the supply chain delay days) walking you through all the things to consider to reupholster your sofa your way.
This is about your inner child and your grownup self sitting down for coffee and pooling resources—the younger you bringing the playful and your current self here to realize the vision. So, with a large piece like a sofa or sectional, let that conversation come around to how you want the space to feel when you walk in.
- That might mean fabrics like a misty Nicolette leaf pattern offering vintage vibes. Or a large-scale contemporary pattern jacquard in luscious vanilla — looking anything but vanilla. Whatever makes you feel like you’re stepping into a chapter of your story you love hanging out in is perfect.
Lovely, Meet Lovlier: Or Just Zhush-Up The Design Style Vibe You Love
Now, you may be feeling reticent to really commit to the pieces we’ve talked about so far. Fear not; there’s a path for you, too. Think smaller.
Instead of a full sofa, add some bold accent throw pillows. Your existing decor offers a basic palette to draw from. Then just pick your favorite throw pillow how-to, and have at it. Like letting your love of color and nature shine with pillows in a vivid blue bird and foliage print on a white or light neutral color sofa.
Instead of chairs, add an ottoman. The Swiss Army Knife of furniture pieces, ottomans can be a footrest, side table, or extra seating. Here’s a video from Aimee to get you started. Make your ottoman a conversation piece, too, with a tapestry fabric that’s a passport to a long chat about your love of travel.
Instead of a headboard, add an oversized wedge pillow. A slice of bliss to snuggle up against at the end of the day, a wedge pillow is fully removable, so you can let yourself dream a luxe little dream. Try a fabric like alpine green geo-textured chenille.
Finally, let your personality frame your view of the world. Try customizing your curtains or window treatments. Go bold with a fabric like a coral and peach tropical print and truly transform a space. Or add your personality as more of a delightful purr than a roar with a rich theater red woven fabric setting the stage.
Now You’re Ready To Get Personal With Your Home’s Design Style
That was fun, right? We know we just threw a lot at you. It’s just that so many of the styles we’ve been exploring so far this year have had a through-line. Over and over again, making your home truly feel more like a reflection of what most delights and nourishes you is what’s trending.
It turns out that far more than being about fleeting trends, the most elevated interior design style is whatever elevates your vibe. It’s personal.
And part of the personal touch is about playfully incorporating accents into your home’s vibe — your way. We just so happen to have all the fabrics you could ever need to do that, plus a passion for helping you get what you need. And — as today’s embarrassment of resource hyperlink riches has no doubt revealed — all the DIY resources to help you fill your home with personality — yours.