upholstery details

since i touched on the 'small things' yesterday, i thought it would be fun to continue sharing tips on how to take a room to the next level; this time through upholstery. suzanne kasler does an amazing job w/ upholstery details...in fact, i think she nails it. one of my favorite things about suzanne, is the fact that she can make a room look fabulous by the smallest touches...for instance, by adding a small tape banding behind the nailhead of a dining room chair, you get a truly custom looking piece. or take an alternate fabric and create a banding at the bottom of a sofa or chair skirt- so easy but it takes the piece to the next level.

or say you fall in love w/ six dining room chairs in a store. they are upholstered in a great neutral linen...well, to get a more custom look w/out having to reupholster a perfectly fine chair, just do the host and hostess chairs- add a pouch of color on those two. or just have an upholsterer add a different fabric to the backs of the chairs-a simple ticking stripe looks awesome....

another tip i think can carry you a long way is adding nailhead trim. polished nickel looks fabulous on an upholstered piece. if you are creating an upholstered headboard, nailhead gives a great custom look...or if you have an upholstered chair, just simply add a small accent detail by the arms to jazz it up...

none of these tips are mind blowing but if you just remember them when you are decorating a space, it will give you such a great custom look. remember 'small things' can go a long way!!

*images courtesy of suzanne kasler/hickory chair, decorology, house beautiful/ballard design