4 Ways To Make Neutral Upholstery Durable (Aka Livable)

Living Well

4 Ways To Make Neutral Upholstery Durable (Aka Livable)

Do you ever wonder how we use so many beautiful, neutral fabrics in our projects and question how they look after a busy family lives in the space?

Many times when we are in the furniture and fabric phase of a project, clients immediately want to steer clear of anything that remotely looks too ‘light’ in color because of children, dogs, and just life.

They have valid reasoning for being concerned; I’ve raised three daughters and know how that goes. But like everything else, technology with fabrics and their durability have come leaps and bounds from where they used to be.

Here are four ways to make neutral upholstery more durable in your home:

1. Treat the neutral fabric with a stain resistant

In this Living Room, we had all of the upholstery treated with a stain resistant formula before being upholstered. It’s important to look at each fabric’s durability when creating a room so it can work hard for your family if needed.

Dana Wolter Interiors, Graham Yelton Photography

2. Include commercial grade fabrics in strategic places

Another trick we use is to find contract-grade fabrics that do not look or feel commercial. We have found fabulous looking velvets and linens that go through rigorous testing to guarantee they are stain resistant, durable, and have a high rub count.

Dana Wolter Interiors, Graham Yelton Photography

3. Add a blanket or quilt as an extra layer of protection

Often times, we have quilted throws made to perfectly fit a piece of upholstery. This allows the throw take the brunt of the activity and it can easily be removed or dry cleaned.

This Schumacher velvet and Jerry Pair leather add to the durability in this room. Dana Wolter Interiors, Graham Yelton Photography

4. Incorporate a leather or faux leather into the room

This buttery faux leather that resembles some of the attributes of leather can look stunning and function perfectly in a kitchen or breakfast room.

The technology makes it easy to wipe down without stains or harsh chemicals, so no worries about fingerprints or stains on this custom banquette we designed, either.

Dana Wolter Interiors, Graham Yelton Photography

Next time you are faced with the fear of choosing new fabrics for your home, don’t immediately shy away from light upholstery. Remember, the key is to look at its makeup so it can stand up to everyday life.

Here’s to living well with neutral upholstery,

Dana

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Living Well

Before And After: Turning A Garage Into A Family Room

Dana Wolter Interiors. Graham Yelton Photography

I posted this picture Here on Instagram a few months ago, and I had someone comment they couldn’t believe this beautiful, functional room once served as a Garage. Me neither…..

I realized that I should share some progress pictures so you can see the transformation. Who knew a garage could look so good……

Before:

What do you see? I see a future family room. Dana Wolter Interiors

After:

I love how this family took their home and made this room work for them. The home functions for a large family, and they needed extra space to spread out and watch television.

The Garage made the most sense, and with its doors turned into French doors and a back entrance reworked, the room quietly transformed.

We added an extra-long sleeper sofa, so it is perfect for the times they need an extra bed, too.

So here’s to making the most of your home, one room at a time.

Dana

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Need A Few Hours Of Design Advice? Our 3.5 Hour Design Consult May Be Just What You Need………

Since the new year, a few people have reached out to me about the one time 3.5 hour consult I offer.

While my firm works mostly on full room or turn-key projects, this one time service is for the client who needs direction and help making decisions, but likes to take that information and do the legwork themselves.

It has gone over really well, and I have even flown across the country a few times to offer this service.

People who have invested in this consult have been surprised over the amount of detail and information that comes with it.

I saw a lady last weekend at my daughter’s dance studio who hired me several months ago to help her with the finishes, colors, materials, furniture layout, etc for a family lakehouse under construction.

I couldn’t help but smile as she proudly showed me pictures of the finished product. They don’t have furniture yet, but the house turned out so pretty. She did a great job implementing my suggestions.

Whatever your needs are with your home, you have my undivided attention during our time together.

Here’s how the 3.5 hour consult works:

You send a list to me of all you would like to discuss and accomplish during our time together. During our appointment, I will then spend 3.5 hours of uninterrupted time giving you my opinion and answering any question you can possible think to ask me. We can discuss design dilemmas, furniture arrangements, fabric swatches, paint colors, to knock down a wall or not– you name it!

The more legwork you do before our meeting, the more productive our time will be together. We will make a Pinterest board with specifics of what to look for when shopping for your home, and I will take detailed measurements so you won’t have to worry about coming home with the wrong size sofa, ever again.

After our meeting, you will receive detailed notes of what we discussed. This allows you to maximize your time with me while I take notes and write down all the specifics for you to implement at a later date.

This service is a great way to invest in your home by making sure what you are changing and buying is right for the space. It also allows you the freedom to work on your project as your time and budget allows, all while following professional advice.

If you think this service can help you transform your home, email us at info@danawolterinteriors.com. I would love to talk with you.

Have a great day-

dana

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Transformation Of A Living Room

We have been working on a beautiful house in Mountain Brook, AL, that we blogged about here and are installing the Living Room after the first of the year.

I thought I would give a little insight into the transformation that is going to take place with this space. It is going to be pretty and chic and filled with a mix of velvets, wools, leathers, linens, and silks. Charcoal gray, tan, cream and blush colors will be mixed in with iron, mixed metals, and different wood finishes.

fullsizerender-6 — Look how gorgeous this silk is going to be as drapery on the floor-to-ceiling windows

We are mixing furnishings from two homes, and while the room was a blank canvas and several new pieces have been ordered, we have tried to incorporate as many of their existing things as we possible could. It’s going to be a good blend of new pieces and antiques.

Because of the size of this room, I want the space to feel like it has been collected over time. Pieces that will blend but nothing that feels too matched or contrived. While it will have more of a dressy feel than some of other parts of the house, I am big on designing this space so this large family will USE it. The room is going to be too pretty and take up too much space in the house for people to walk past it. A large sofa in the main seating area and a second seating area with two custom loveseats will provide comfortable seating for many.

The room has recently been painted from the pictures above and the rug is now installed. It already feels better with a few coats of paint and a floor covering that fits the space. Stay tuned as we install the furnishings and accessories in 2017.

Dana

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