The Perfect Wedding Gift

Is there such a thing as the perfect wedding gift?  Probably not.  However, we carry a line of beautiful and exquisite jeweled picture frames and other gift items made by Olivia Riegel.  Each piece is crafted beautifully using Austrian crystals, sleek metals and enamels.  Give the glamorous life to someone you love with a beautiful bejeweled box, umbrella, vanity mirror or picture frame.  They also offer wedding accessories like ring bearer pillows, serving sets and flute sets for the wedding toasts.

Shop Olivia Riegel >

Jacobean Floral Fabrics

Old is new again. We see it all the time. As I regularly add new fabrics to our website, www.InteriorDecorating.com, I get a glimpse of what is popular in fabrics today. One of those fabric designs is Jacobean Florals. These fabrics have a distinct design pattern. You will probably recognize the design style, but don't know what to call it.

Jacobean florals are based on popular embroidery styles from the era of King James I of England in the first quarter of the 17th century. The florals have a distinct and exaggerated whimsical look. Characterized by a scrolling vine with stylized flowers, these beautiful fabrics provide a rich and sophisticated look.  Shop Jacobean Fabrics >>

       

Today's Wallpaper - What to Look For

Today's wall coverings can be easy to remove - just look for Non-Woven wallpapers.   These technically advanced wallpaper materials were introduced to the market several years ago. Made of a fibrous material, non-woven wallpapers are easier to install and even easier to remove! They will dry-strip from the wall, usually leaving the wall smooth and abrasion free. Many Non-Wovens are vinyl free making them an environmentally friendly wallpaper option. 

What is the difference bewteen prepasted and unpasted wallpaper?

Prepasted wallpapers have an adhesive applied to the backing which is activated with water.

Unpasted wallpapers do not have paste applied to the backing.  Most of these can be hung with standard wallpaper pastes available at your nearest paint and wallpaper store unless the instructions give more specific directions.

Some wallpapers are listed as strippable and some are peelable - what does that mean?

Strippable wallpapers can be dry stripped from the wall without leaving any backing behind. These are the most removable papers in the market and are usually printed on a Non-Woven substrate.

Peelable wallpapers will peel off the wall, leaving some of the backing behind. The backing can be often removed with soap and water, but sometimes a wallpaper removal solution may be necessary.

Information from Brewster Wallcoverings.  New Brewster Wallpaper Collections on www.InteriorDecorating.com

View Wallpaper

Cleaning Code S

Cleaning Code S

"S" what?  Upholstery fabrics use a standard set of cleaning codes.  Most of the fabrics we see have a cleaning code "S" or they may say Dry Clean Only.  So what in the world does that mean?  Use a solvent based cleaner - not water based.  Another option is to use a professional dry cleaning service.

This site has a nice review of several cleaning products available > 


For more information on cleaning codes, check out www.InteriorDecorating.com

Keep Cool in Style

Are you looking for a stylish way to keep cool?  These non-permanent, movable fans are available in many styles and colors for both indoor and outdoor use.  Some of the floor fans feature adjustable heights.  The outdoor fans can be fitted with a mister that really amps up the cool factor.  You can find traditional wood styles to ornate resin looks to sleek metals like copper and stainless steel.  If you don't want to install a ceiling fan and a box fan just isn't the look you want, these decorative floor and table fans are the perfect choice.
Shop DecoBreeze Fans >

Leather for Upholstery

Upholstery grade leather is normally sold by the square foot.  Some companies require you to purchase a half or whole hide and others do not have minimums.  Keep in mind there is a limit to how much you can get from one hide.  Some of the leather like Berkshire and Caressa are consistent in color and style from piece to piece so you would be able to cover a whole couch or large piece.

One 54" yard of fabric is equal to 18 square feet of leather.  Here is a link to Garrett Leather's estimates for upholstery.

Take a look at the average cutting area of a hide.

A common term for dyed leather is Aniline dyed - the process that results in true color permanence. Transparent dyes penetrate the cell layers throughout the thickness of the hide, producing deep, vibrant, and durable colors. It conceals none of the natural characteristics or markings. 

Beautiful leather can be found on www.InteriorDecorating.com

Love from Greece - An Upholstery Story

We absolutely love when our clients share their decorating projects with us.  Recently, we assisted a lovely lady from Greece with Magnolia Fabrics for updating two couches in her Bed and Breakfast located on the Island of Euboea in Greece.  Check out her website MadCatFarm.gr  

Here's what she had to say about the fabrics. "Here’s a picture of the big couch covered in Lourdes and with a cover over the ridge along the back, arm covers and alternate cushions in Farrell Misty." The covers are to protect the couches from the Cats - which is a signature part of their fun Bed and Breakfast.

Window Curtain Tricks

Found this on Pinterest.  

Outdoor Sling Fabric

New on the website this week are about 2,000 new Charlotte Fabrics.  One of the fabric books includes vinyl coated polyester fabrics for outdoor use.  These are the fabrics you find on chairs and swings that you can just hose off.  Personally, it is my favorite type of outdoor fabric - it seems to just last forever.  This is the first time to see them sold by the yard.  These vinyl fabrics are great for chairs and furniture, window screens, umbrellas and more.  From solid colors to tropical prints and stripes, you are sure to find something you will love. Shop Now >

Fleece Tie Projects

Are you thinking about Christmas presents yet?  I saw a cute tutorial here for a fleece tie floor pillow.  I thought "why didn't I think of that?"  I have made a fleece tie blanket or two and a sleeping bag.  A big floor pillow sounds like a great idea.  You follow all the same instructions for the blanket except you stuff it with poly-fill before you tie off the last strips.  The tutorial recommends 1 1/2 yards of each fleece (pattern and coordinating solid) to make about a 45-50" square pillow.

Check out our tutuorials here:
Fleece Blanket
Fleece Sleeping Bag for Kids
Shop Fleece Fabrics in our Bargain Section