While an architect or planner takes up the job of designing the property, it’ll only feel like home if you bring a personal touch to it. Likewise, a space will only feel homely when soft furnishings for home décor and a plushy quotient fill the room.
A simple combination of sofa, table and chairs only has enough potential to make a room feel welcoming if you see throw pillows, cushions, and rugs nestled along with them. So, the easiest way to build your dream home with the utmost comfort level is by opening the doors to the world of soft furnishings.
Every soft furnishing item has a unique role to play with its blast of colours and patterns. So let the dull rooms be transformed into the most stunning and cosiest interior spaces by stroking them with the best soft furnishings.
Let’s explore the soft world of furnishings and help you pick the best soft furnishings.
Types of Soft Furnishings
As the name suggests, soft furnishings are your home decor’s most delicate elements. However, a thoughtful selection can complete the whole look of the home with the proper selection of materials and patterns.
Before jumping to the shopping guide, let us first get familiar with different types of soft furnishings for home décor that will retain the look of the space.
Below is a list of soft furnishings for home décor:
- Curtains
- Bedding
- Cushions
- Sofas
- Rugs
- Tapestries
01. Curtains
These are called soft furnishings, but a few elements can be strong enough to safeguard your privacy. Curtains adorn the windows with their translucent look and serve as a transition material from interiors to exteriors. Based on the colour you pick, these can help maintain the brightness in the room while keeping up with privacy concerns. Curtains come in a variety of colours, patterns and materials. So, for home décor, choose curtain fabrics which complement the soft furnishings for home décor.
02. Bedding
Bedding is the most loved soft furnishing item, as at the end of a long day, we all seek comfortable bedding to give us peace and proper rest. Therefore, your bedding must be composed of materials that soothe your skin and are durable.
03. Cushions
Don’t we all love resting our heads on plush cushions? Or perhaps, have a fun pillow fight with our siblings? Cushions are foam-filled items resting mostly on sofas or chairs. Besides the vibrancy, these decorative cushions bring a sense of style to the room. Cushions can also be beneficial in fixing your sitting posture.
04. Sofas
Don’t you love cuddling up on your favourite sofa while munching your favourite snacks and watching some film? Sofas are the definition of comfort when the right size and layout are chosen. In addition, these soft furnishing items enable other soft materials like throw pillows, cushions, and blankets to be laid on them to help you attain maximum comfort.
05. Rugs
We all love entering a house that weaves different stories into every nook, right? Rugs are soft furnishing items that tell stories in your home based on their style and accents. These can add depth to a space and make the entire room even more inviting when laid on the floor. Though numerous rug trends are available, you can choose the one that best suits your tastes; for more information on rug trends, visit our blog. Though there are numerous rug trends available, you can choose the one that suits your taste; for more information on rug trends, visit our blog:
06. Tapestries
Make a switch from paintings adorning the walls and go for a softer look with tapestries. These soft furnishing items not only decorate the room but can be strategically placed to conceal any flaws on the walls. Composed of fine carpet material, you can welcome drama to the space with bold colours.
Ultimate Guide To Soft Furnishings -3 Tips For Choosing The Best Soft Furnishings
Home decor must reflect your taste in design and aesthetics. As enjoyable as selecting and experimenting with various soft furnishing items may sound, there are a few tips to remember when selecting the best soft furnishings for home décor.
First Tip: Durability Comes First While Choosing Soft Furnishings For Home Décor
You might be tempted to go with a sheer-looking material for your curtains, but is it durable enough to fit into your lifestyle?
While exploring the soft furnishing market, you need to consider where and how you will be using them. Based on the usage, a range of fabrics is curated for gentle or challenging use.
You’d want the styling to stay with you for a long time, thus investing in fabrics and items that promise longevity and align well with the purpose you’re buying them for.
Second Tip: A Patterned Palette Must Be In Mind While Making A Choice Of Soft Furnishings
One can never get enough patterns in a space. And the liveliness brought by these patterns is unmatched. Fill up the room with a mood board, incorporating loud practices to make the decor speak a language of aesthetics.
Don’t shy away from going wild with mismatched patterns if you’re up for a bold look. And in case it’s a minimal design you’re aiming for, keep the tones and prints sublime. From curtains to plush cushions, the endless variety of patterns makes it easier to turn design ideas into reality.
Third Tip: Let The Colours Complement While Picking Soft Furnishings For Home Décor
With so many soft furnishings occupying a single space, you wouldn’t want to clutter the room with extreme colour palettes. Instead, select tones that complement each other well in the interior design.
You can either go for an earthy look with subtle tones or make the space exude drama with bright and contrasting shades. The key here is to ensure that the entire mood board of the room is harmonized and balanced.
The Fabric Guide and Styling Tips for Soft Furnishings
When selecting material for soft furnishings, it’s normal to get confused with the options presented to you. To save you from getting swooped up by a particular fabric and making the wrong choice, we’ve curated a brief guide to familiarise you with different materials.
Below is a list of soft furnishing materials for home décor:
- Comfy Cotton Furnishings
- Sophisticated Silk For Soft Furnishings
- Jazzy Jute Rugs
- Vintage Velvet In The Soft Furnishings
- Home Décor With Woolen Items
- Luxurious Leather Upholstery For Home Décor
- Aesthetic Acrylics Soft Furnishings For Home Décor
01. Comfy Cotton Furnishings
You’ve probably seen cotton if you’ve heard of other fabrics. It is a highly comfy material and is most widely used for home decor. In addition, the ease of maintenance and cleaning of these fabrics make them a popular choice for linens, curtains, and towels.
When picking cotton furnishings, you can choose any colour or print that satisfies your design sense. The only disadvantage con of cotton is that it wrinkles when washed. However, relief is offered because these are super easy to handle and iron.
02. Sophisticated Silk For Soft Furnishings
Nothing looks as regal as silk for soft furnishings. Silk is your go-to option for soft furnishings if you want the home decor to exude a sense of luxury. Before proceeding, it’s essential to know that it’s hypoallergenic. One con is that the tone can fade away when exposed to direct sunlight.
Adorn your cushions, lampshades, and linens with soothing colours in silk. However, before setting your heart on this material, fix your budget, as it is an expensive material promising enhanced aesthetics.
03. Jazzy Jute Rugs
Are you a nature enthusiast who likes a sense of earthiness in home décor and aims to attain sustainability through design? Jute must rule your material palette in that case. The best part about soft furnishings composed of jute is that one can recycle them.
The rustic look of jute rugs or lampshades can offer a Bohemian makeover to the space. Keep things sublime and raw, with jazzy jute items ruling the area.
04. Vintage Velvet In The Soft Furnishings
Want to glam up the space? It’s time to incorporate velvet into your soft furnishings. When used in the right proportions, velvet decor can give your home a royal look. The key to curating velvet décor is to prevent going overboard and making the room look overwhelming with its appeal.
Keep in mind that velvet might attract tiny dust particles, which will need your regular attention for its cleanliness and maintenance. If you’re not keen on investing in cleaning but want a glam quotient in the space, you can opt for a blend of another material with velvet bands embellished on the top.
05. Home Décor With Woolen Items
After spending a chilly day outside, we all seek warmth inside our homes. Let soft furnishings serve as a source of cosiness by curating the design in wool. Each item can be designed with this fabric, from quilts to carpets.
Apart from the comfort these offer to your body and eyes, their thickness can also reduce noise. In addition, home décor with woollen items can bring more texture and depth to the room.
06. Luxurious Leather Upholstery For Home Décor
Does your pet love climbing up the sofa and sitting beside you? It is recommended that all pet lovers opt for leather upholstery. The robust material can withstand all sorts of wear and tear because of its sturdiness.
07. Aesthetic Acrylics Soft Furnishings For Home Décor
Do you desire the visual appeal of wool in an alternative material? Bring acrylics to your mood board for home decor. The advantage of picking acrylics over wool is their resistance to fading and wrinkles. As a result, acrylics provide the desired comfort and contemporary aesthetics.
Importance Of Soft Furnishings For Home Décor?
Why bring soft furnishings into your home? Apart from the beautification of the house, there’s much more that these small items do to make a functional space. So, let’s look at the importance of soft furnishings.
Allows You To Explore The Possibilities In Home Improvement
Rather than expensive home improvement solutions, home soft furnishings are a cost-effective way to improve the aesthetics of your home while giving you the freedom to decorate it according to your ideas and creative thoughts.
Serves The Purpose Of Beauty Along With Utility
Each soft furnishing item has a role other than just decorating the house. For example, while curtains aid in maintaining the privacy and blocking sunlight, cushions can help you sit straight. Bedding is to keep you warm and comfortable for a good night’s sleep, and sofas can be your ultimate chilling spot. Thus, there’s utility embedded within the beauty of these soft furnishing items.
Best Soft Furnishings Reflect Your Personality
Your personal preference, favourite colour, and desired patterns are necessary to build a cosy home. So, with muted home décor, let these soft furnishing items do all the talking and reflect your creative side.
Adds On To The Comfort
There’s endless warmth and comfort hidden within these furnishing items. Enjoy the richness of comfort with an intelligent choice of soft furnishings, whether it’s the fabric or the essence brought by tones.
Establish A Deeper Connection With Design Elements
This investment isn’t an independent one. Instead, these soft furnishing items establish a deep connection with the other design elements filling up the space, resulting in a cohesive design.
A Sensorial Home With Soft Furnishings For Home Décor
Transform a bland space into a liveable home with the right furnishing items. Explore different patterns and colours and pick the one that aligns with the decor to complete the visual appeal of the interiors.
Whether you’re remodelling your old house or building it entirely from scratch, spruce it up with soft furnishing items. Ensure that the blank canvas is injected with colours and textures that bind the look and give your house a unique personality.
You may be interested in some interior design ideas to beautify your home now that you thoroughly understand soft furnishings for home décor.
Check out our blog on the subject.
13 Unique Interior Design Ideas and Home Decor Inspirations for 2022
Author Bio
Saili Sawantt – She is an Architect and Interior Designer by profession. Writing is what she treats as her passion. She has worked as an Architectural Writer, Editor, and Journalist for various design as well as digital portals, both national and international. Formerly she has also worked with Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) Design Studio, Mumbai, due to her keen interested in learning about Sustainability and Green buildings. Apart from this, she runs her blog ‘The Reader’s Express’ and is a practicing Architect & Interior Designer.
