Impressionist Fabric
I love this fabric, but it is very expensive. Do any designers know of other similar fabrics that are less costly? I will be using this for two Euroshams and a bed scarf.
Comments (17)
PRONorwood Architects
3 years ago
PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoRelated Discussions
sanity-check my living-room combo please? (several pix)
Comments (47)I did not buy the settee at this time. None of my coupons were working and the chickie on the order line was being difficult about it, so I gave up because the price difference would pay for a set of wood blinds. Maybe next time it goes on sale they'll work, or it'll be on a better sale. Windypoint, I adore all the Victorian trims, although I do have to exercise some self-restraint to avoid overwhelming my DH. He is extremely tolerant but he does still have his limits! The chair cushions are getting a nice deep-eggplant piping to match the same color in the (very very subtle) paisley, I have some lovely big olive-colored tassels for curtain tiebacks, and pillows will be generously trimmed out as well. I use few pillows (too many and they end up thrown on the floor) so they have to have "oomph" visually. Can't hack the pompoms though. :-) Hoosiergirl, the Morris chair is actually very comfortable! Appearances can be very deceiving. DH is picky about where he plants his butt and he claimed it as soon as it was brought home. It fits him perfectly. I've already said it's getting new, thicker cushions, the existing cushions do suck big time. Squirrel, thank you for eventually actually reading what I wrote. :-) I'm getting kind of frustrated with that in general, I end up wondering why I even bother writing/explaining anything at all if all people are going to do is look at the pictures? I've definitely learned my lesson though, I'll only post the barest minimum of pictures, if any, from now on. Thank you for the mockups, but I had to crack up at how the fabric you put on the Morris chair is showing on my monitor, as a very bright lime-tinged olive green with gaudy bright purple splotches. *chuckle* I'm also giggling at your very carefully working around organic_smallhome's end tables - I've been trying to weasel those out of her for ages so her old couch wouldn't get lonely for them! LOL I'm so bad! I have my eye on a couple of end tables in a couple of antique shops here that I am certain pretty much everyone here would absolutely detest but I really like. As for what happened to my old living room.... uh, I moved? ;-) ;-) ;-) The leather couch has been moved to what used to be the dining room - it was too large, squat and heavy for the living room, but the dining room is open to the kitchen and so the leather couch isn't as much of a hulk in there because the total space is greater. The upholstered bench is also in there because it, too, is too big for the living room. Dark wicker chair is in the guest room because a [expletive deleted] mover cracked one of the legs, and the leather chair and ottoman are in the bizarre little bedroom we use as a library because it is SO huge it doesn't fit anywhere - it's the only piece of furniture besides the bookshelves in the library! The camelback couch is smaller and less massive-feeling, much better-suited to the smaller living room. NO way am I buying a new couch for the living room. Good grief, I can't even imagine throwing away a good quality, extremely comfortable couch that I already have, that's just crazy talk! It's probably going to be some years before I can afford to have the couch reupholstered. A deep eggplant fabric would be my preference but it would probably be a neutral caramel-ish sort of color for more practicality. I do plan on a new slipcover for it but it is going to have to wait because nice slipcovers get pricey (especially when you're incredibly sick of microsuede and duck/twill just doesn't work for the room). Too much else on the right-now list!...See MoreHuge bill from Decorator - what would you do??
Comments (90)Sorry to be MIA - life and keeping an eye on by GC and subcontractors got in the way...I followed this for a little while, then got out my checkbook and wrote a check for the full amount of the bill, not because I felt that it was fair or that I got what I had asked for, but simply because I didn't want to talk to the designer again. And I was really turned off by some of the "scolding" I received, simply for asking what others would do in my situation... And to those of you who were sympathetic and offered their interpretations, thank you for the support and kind words! Here's my thoughts on the entire situation: I was naive about this entire renovation project. I trusted "professionals" and now I know that not everyone has the same ethical nature that I have. I honestly thought that by starting with "professional" architects, having them recommend "professional" GCs, having the GC (and architects) recommend "professional" decorator that I would end up with people who knew what they were doing and who would make sure that I understood the process. I started each conversation by explaining that this is the first time I've ever undertaken a project of this scope/nature and what my goal was. What I found was that the architects would cover for mistakes/omissions made by the GC, the GC didn't check the work of his subcontractors and would often cover for them, and the decorator was completely a joke - recommending that I get rid of furniture, then, 6 months later, recommend that I purchase almost the exact same piece...I end my project much wiser, much poorer, and with not the best opinion of people who call themselves professionals. It's not that the GC hasn't made the subcontractors return to fix their errors/problems and that the architects didn't back me up when I pointed out the GC's errors/omissions, but it was clear that unless I did the research and inspections, no one was looking out for my best interest, although, when explaining what their role in the process was, both the architects and GC proclaimed to be my employee, my advocate and to work in my best interest. Hahaha...I still chuckle when I realize how I swallowed that hook, line and sinker. As to the decorator dilemma, I appreciate those posters who offered insight, advice and were sympathetic. I think I must have struck an extremely sensitive nerve with some, especially palimpsest and marcolo, as I felt they were quite defensive about the situation and I didn't particularly care for what seemed to be a condescending tone in their posts. I didn't ask for an itemized bill from the decorator because I didn't want to be charged $120/hour for the decorator to sit down and list all of the time that was supposedly spent giving thought to my project and I honestly felt that given my experience with the decorator, I'd have about $300 tied up in getting an itemized bill - which still wouldn't have made any difference in the bill. Was I going to say, um, did you really spend 3 hours looking through magazines to select that sofa - you know - the same one that you selected for another client? Rip me off once, shame on you. Rip me off again, shame on me :) What irritates me the most about the designer is that I specifically asked for recommendations for floor stain and paint colors and instead I got a bunch of furniture and fabric recommendations. I can't help but to think that there was more money for a decorator to make by selling me furniture than by recommending floor stain and paint colors, thus the decision to start with the furniture. If furniture and fabric needed to be chosen before paint colors, shouldn't A PROFESSIONAL have educated me to this point? Shouldn't there have even been a discussion as to how we intended to spend time in the rooms and if there were any special pieces of furniture that we wanted to incorporate? I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to have that conversation prior to someone charging me for their time to make recommendations as to what furniture I would like. Would an attorney go ahead and draw up a divorce settlement proposal without asking me what I wanted in it? What assets we had to settle? would a doctor go ahead and prescribe tests and drugs without asking what was wrong...what my symptoms were? Then why should a decorator feel it's ok to recommend furniture purchases when what I've asked for was stain recommendations and paint color suggestions? I'm almost finished with my renovation and have to say that I'm doing a much better job than the "professional" that I hired...Sorry to offend those who thought so highly of the decorator's suggestions, but they weren't appropriate for our family and personally I feel taken advantage of by the decorator. For what it's worth.......See MoreThe unpopular guest room, Phase II.
Comments (59)I get both framing the art to suit the art only, and framing it all "alike". Personally, I frame all of my art to suit the art, but it also has to suit my home as a whole and possibly go anywhere in that home. Thus it's all "Gallery Framed". And so while I might have a small hint of color in the bottom mat of a double or triple matted piece, the top mat is always going to be some shade of cream, or tan. That top mat might be fabric, or wallpaper, or just about anything really, but it's going to be some ivory/white shade. The mat is there to provide a neutral backdrop to the art, no matter which room I place it in. And all of my frames are either black or gold. I have some pieces, like my Persian tapestry and an original watercolor, in larger more ornate moldings, as it suits them, but those frames will still be black or gold. It's the same with the thin "poster" frame molding that is on some of the more contemporary pieces or an old poster of a WWII plane. They will all be black or gold and have some form of cream as the top matte as well. But, my sister has a fine arts degree and her own frame shop, so I get the family discount. I can't imagine paying full retail for framing something these days! She did a museum mount piece for a customer recently that was over 1K! And that's why I'd like to gently suggest that you at least measure the frames for the pieces and see if they are standard off the shelf sizes. Those are pretty easy to change out DIY, and you can always apply the kraft paper dust sheeting to the back yourself as well. I've also painted frames black when I found garage sale pieces that worked for me. I have a couple of $1 garage sale poster finds right next to an original fine art photograph, and it all works because of the gallery look. I could give a rat's behind that one might be considered "art" but not the others. It all speaks to me about form or line or color, so it's all art to me. :)...See MoreDesign Around Crazy Sofa
Comments (9)You could go very simple with everything else in the room, or you could go for a full-on bohemian extravaganza. If these appeal to you and you don't have an eye for colour and pattern, hire someone who does. Screen professionals carefully if this is the look you want. If this does not appeal to you, keep everything else in the room super simple: white or unbleached linen, natural fibers in their natural tones....See MoreRachel
3 years agofunctionthenlook
3 years agoloobab
3 years agoHi Rachel-
The colors in that fabric are just delicious, and perfect for a bedroom, I can see why you fell in love with it.
Here is the a voice of practicality though-
That is a fortune to spend, even if you had a fortune, I wouldn't advise it.
Fabrics fade from sun exposure, they need to get laundered, your pet may make a tear or stain , your tea or champagne and strawberries may spill , whatever...
My point being that is a Queens ransom for something that is really fungible.
If you love those colors and pattern type would you consider it in a different way, say a piece of art?
It would be so easy for you to find a sizable piece of art with those colors in an sort of abstractly rounded floral (or however you wanted to describe it.)
There are so many online sources of art, or you could get art student to duplicate it for a song.
Too bad Covid is on.
The art school students used to line up on the street selling their wares including copies of the Great Masters, and you could pick the best future forger to copy this.
At this time, if you called the art schools, they may be closed, but you can try.
I would do that before ordering from an online source.
I like to see something in real life, to be able to talk to the artist, and you can customize it more, and you can customize the size, decide if you want acrylic or oil for example, decide if you want a little more or a little less of a certain color, if you want to add a new color and drop a color.
You can hang it over your bed, or somewhere else in the room.
Then for your bed shawl and shams get fabric that coordinates with the painting in really delicious colors/textures. It would depend on what you want to do for curtains on the room and if you are going to have a fabric covered chair(s) and what fabric you use on them.
I can't tell from this "swatch" what the scale of the design is.
But let's say for example it is very large scale, or for your painting, you do it in a very large scale, which is what I advise, because it would be the focal point of the room (other than your bed.)
And how nice to have a focal point that is not a television!
There is an old rule about prints in a room that seem like grandma's day. but it really works.
Large scale floral or other print, mid-scale stripe, small scale geometric or other small scale print. In a bedroom, some people want less pattern than in for example, a living room.
So this piece of art, done large can be your "large scale floral" and take center stage in your room.
For your shams you can do sold colors in fabrics from the painting, maybe different colors on each side, that would be fun!
And do them in a really delicious fabric like velveteen.
Or silk.
Do you like shimmer?
Have you heard of shot silk?
That is when the threads of the warp are a different color than the threads of the weft.
The effect is marvelous, and iridescence, and constant color change.
Here are some examples.
And pick marvelous trim that coordinates with the colors in your painting.Look at the Scalamandre catalog, but don't reach for the smelling salts, you don't have to shop there, (they only sell to the trade anyway) just get your ideas and then go shop somewhere else.
And if the only trim you like is pricey, well, it's worth it because even if the fabric of the pillow needs replacing, if you are clever about how the trim is sewn on, you can remove the trim, and attach it to the new fabric!
It is amusing thought, all these trims on pillows and sofas were created to protect costly fabrics from wear and tear. And over time, the trims have become way more expensive than fabric.
Oh, and please shop the bargain bins at he fabric stores for discontinued trim, can you get great deals,
And be creative, Instead of spending a fortune on a wide trim, you can spend a fraction on buying two narrow trim and sewing them together yourself.
If your city has a fabric district, check out the stores there before they might have to be shut down for Covid.
This is a fabric I had suggested to another Houzzer ages ago for upholstery, it seems to be in similar colors to your favored ones, if you have a chair you need to do, it might work.
Here is another one, more in the blue family.
By the way, if you need a rug for the room and you don't want to get an Oriental rug, you can usually get a good deal on a piece of broadloom and have it bound.I wonder if you can get a piece that is similar to the above tweed fabrics.
It is fine that they don't have the pinks of your chosen fabric, you want that to be the star, and the other things just the supporting cast with just enough to show they are in the same show.
Rachel thanked loobabTara
3 years agofunctionthenlook
3 years ago
PROJudyG Designs
3 years agoScroll through Society6 bath and bedding. You may find something you like in Euros and bed runner.
Rachel thanked JudyG Designs
Maureen
3 years agoThis UK company has Impressionist type fabric from around 50-70pounds and charge 30pounds to ship to US and Canada. They also have bedding https://www.bluebellgray.com/living/fabrics.html
loobab
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoMary Elizabeth
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoRachel
3 years ago
niccidhg
3 years ago
PROBeverlyFLADeziner
3 years agohttps://www.amazon.com/Levtex-home-Standard-Multicolor-Reversible/dp/B086Q7KDZY
All of these bedding ensembles are from Wayfair.
loobab
3 years ago
ptreckel