Great Ideas about TRENDS & TIPS...stay tuned to this spot!!

Here are some great tips and comments on trends from some of the designer consultants you'll meet at our store. This section will be updated routinely, so you'll probably find something here that can help YOU too! We welcome your comments and suggestions for this section.

Design Tip - from Robin Legett, Furniture Factories Showrooms Designer

How Do I Mix Fabrics and Furniture Pieces?

Customers often ask, "How do I mix fabrics and different furniture pieces?"
Here are 2 easy tricks to doing this:

1. Use fabrics that have the same "style" or "feel", but vary the pattern.
For example: if you have a sofa upholstered in a striped fabric, use a floral or geometric for the another piece. Keep adding various patterns and textures to complete the look.

1. Also, mix your case goods. If you have a square cocktail table, then add a round end table that compliments but doesn't match the first one. This leads to a more interesting look that simply buying pieces that are matched sets.

Design Tip - from Chris Wilson, Furniture Factories Showrooms Designer

What Should I Buy First?

When redecorating a room on a budget (and who isn't these days?) I'm often asked by customers "What should I buy first?" My answer to this is simple. Buy the biggest and most colorful things first. Usually, that means:

1. Rug(s)
2. Largest upholstered piece
3. Largest wall décor item

The mood of a room is set by the floor covering, although many people notice wall color first. However, paint and even wallpaper is relatively inexpensive in the entire decorating process, so I would certainly choose a paint color near the beginning of a decorating process, (sometimes you have already painted everything first), but I would PURCHASE larger items first if possible, and then choose wall color based on those.

Choosing a rug is a wonderful experience...especially since it's often a big purchase and is also an opportunity to choose a new style, so pick out something you really love, not just something that will "go." This is your chance to do something new and fun, so take it!! In the case of a room with no rug at all, simply move to your upholstered pieces.

If your room has a large fabric piece, like a sofa, chaise lounge or bedspread, select and purchase that upholstered piece second, based on the colors and pattern of your rug. You certainly don't want to have to enter the room from then on and have the largest pieces clash with the floor color, which is something you see with EVERY step you take.

However, if the room doesn't have any large upholstered pieces, say you're doing a dining or game room, then after you've purchased a rug, I would then move to wall décor and purchase wall tapestries, framed paintings or prints, metal art, wood plaques or many other types of colorful items next that will accent the room's color palette.

In most any room, accent seating, draperies, and smaller fabric pieces can be added as funds allow, but I feel the three major purchases to be made first should be rug(s), major upholstery, and art.

Design Tip - from Brenda Fisher, Furniture Factories Showrooms, Owner

Furniture Placement...add the WOW...your Focal Point!

When deciding on the placement of the pieces in your room to be decorated, always look at the room as a blank canvas. Even if you already have pieces in the room now, eliminate them from your mind, and see a blank room. Because you want to create a wonderful environment for you, your family and friends, you have to start with the WOW...and the WOW is your focal point.

In a greatroom, your focal point may be your fireplace wall or a TV armoire. In your bedroom, this piece would be your bed. In your dining room, the focal point would be the wall behind your dining table.

Enter the room you are decorating...stop...and look straight ahead...because after entering the room, you want you friends and family to say "wow," so this view is very important. Make your focal grand and exciting, and then place your other pieces around this area for traffic flow and your family's comfort.

Design Tip - from Carolyn Cochran, Furniture Factories Showrooms Designer

Measure the Room You are Decorating!

Now this sounds simple, and it is, but it's so important, many people overlook it.

1. Buy a pad of graph paper - one foot in your room equals one square foot on the paper - no matter how it's laid out.

2. Measure your room's width and depth first. Then you can add the openings for windows, doors, fireplace, etc.

3. Doing all this before you go shopping will enable you to know what size furniture pieces will fit into your space.

4. Take your layout with you when shopping...it will be much easier to select your items...and save you much time and aggravation.

5. When measuring, be sure to include rug height, wall space, height above the mantel, space between the windows, and allow for door fold-back.

Details like this are just as important as floor space, because you want your mirrors, pictures and wall décor to be in scale with your room.

Design Trend - from Charlie McMullen, Furniture Factories Showrooms Designer

Using colors that go beyond the expected...

Many people are using a bue and brown combination of color for their rooms today. And here's a trend I see that goes with that...Adding even more color.
Try adding splashes of light to medium pinks, oranges, and green as well as light reds and purple..It's a great way to make your room special and different...and yet still be stylish. Try introducing these colors in a chair, a painting, or geometric pillows. Pick the colors you love most, and introduce them into your room to add your own special sense of style.

Design Tip - from Charlie McMullen, Furniture Factories Showrooms Designer

Your information is vital for wonderful selections...

Remember to bring a fabric swatch, paint chip, pillow, your room's sizes or even a painting for help with selecting the correct fabrics and other colors for your rooms. This information is vital for a designer to help you with the best pieces for you. We can truly Make your home beautiful...for Less.