DIY Cornice Boards

What is a cornice board? A decorative element that crowns a door or window.  A valance will have loose fabric at the bottom where a cornice does not.  You can use a cornice to cover curtain rods and window blind head rails.  Cornice boards also add dimension and hard lines to a window treatment.
Check out this how-to make your own cornice board on www.InteriorDecorating.com

Charlotte Lifeguard Finish

I love new innovations.  This week we received some samples of Charlotte fabrics that have been treated with Lifeguard Performance Finish.  You can have any Charlotte fabric treated for only $4.75 per yard.  What does that do for your fabric? EVERYTHING

Permanent Water Repellency
Permanent Stain Repellency
Permanent Odor Repellency
Permanent Antimicrobial Resistance
Permanent Antibacterial Resistance
Permanent Durability Improvement

This finish is eco-friendly - no harsh chemicals so it is safe for kids and pets and makes your furniture kid and pet proof.  WOW  The finish will not alter the feel or colors of your fabric.  Easy to clean - just brush lightly or use mild soap and warm water.  Check out this video where Emery and I tested the claims.

Shop Charlotte Fabrics >>

High Performance Fabrics

Trendy: Purchase high performance fabrics made for outdoor use to use in your home.  Many of today's outdoor fabrics have a fabulous look and better feel than in the past.  The inherent qualities of these fabrics make them a great choice for your indoor spaces.  Since they resist spills and fading and are very durable, they work well where kids and pets are regular visitors. Duralee also has a new line from designer Lonni Paul that features Crypton brand fabrics - these are normally for commercial spaces.  New looks that will last a long time - you can't beat it.

Shop Beautiful Indoor/Outdoor High Performance Fabrics >

Magnolia Fabrics and HGTV's HomeTown

Magnolia Fabrics will be featured on HGTV's new hit show Hometown. The first season was a HUGE success and season 2 premiers January 8th 2018. We are honored that the show's talent and producers asked us be a partner. Our fabrics will be featured in each episode this upcoming season. Were we excited about the publicity from our products being featured on a national television show? Absolutely! But greater than that was our interest in supporting a hit television show that is filmed right in our backyard. The show is filmed in Laurel MS, a small town just hours from us. Erin and Ben Napier, the hosts of the show, live in Laurel and are helping to revitalize the town one home at a time. Support the show by watching each week starting January 8th. You will not be disappointed!

Front Door Colors and Tips

One of my projects for this year is to paint my front door. What color? What kind of paint do I purchase? Are there tips for doing a great job? Here's what I found.

Planning

Red - choose a red or shade from your brick colors or a nice gray (try pulling the color from your grout lines).  Light yellow and beige will work as well.

Grey - light blues and turquoise, yellow and dark purple all make great choices.

Brown - bright red, mossy green and darker blue shades will create a lovely look.

White - dark colors like green, black and dark gray create a dramatic and classy look. However, when your house is white - any color will work.

Tape paint chips to your door to compare your choices. Another suggestion is to purchase samples of your top picks and paint larger swatches to compare throughout the day as the colors will appear differently depending on the sunlight.

Better Homes and Gardens lists some traditional exterior house color schemes:

• Yellow and Cream
• Charcoal and Light Gray
• Sage and Taupe
• Plum and Taupe or Cream
• Rich Green plus Gray
• Forest Green and Black

Painting

First, wait for a clear sunny day - you don't want to paint when it is below 50 degrees.  About a quart of paint will cover a single primed exterior door.  Be sure to purchase paint designed for exterior surfaces. Glossy paints tend to last longer and go well with brick. Clean and sand your door prior to priming and painting. You can use a paint brush or low-nap or foam roller to apply the paint.

Wide Fabric Trim

What is ottoman or faille fabrics?

A fabric term I was unfamiliar with popped up this week on some new fabrics I was adding - so I took a little time to learn what the term meant. Technically, ottoman and faille refers to a cross grain weave.  First, let's clarify that the weave is different than the fiber content.  In other words, you can purchase a silk ottoman fabric or a wool faille fabric.  The new fabrics I added were polyester faux silk fabrics.  Ottoman fabrics are usually silky with a horizontal ribbing that is a little larger and rounder than a faille fabric.

Faille - silky, ribbed fabric - smaller ribs
Ottoman - silky, ribbed fabric - larger ribs

Curved Curtain Rods

One of our very popular products is flexible curtain track.  It is perfect for shower enclosures, rotundas, bay and bow windows, and room dividers.  This track is flexible enough to make a circle or s-shape.  Track can be installed on the ceiling or the wall with double track and valance options available.  Affordable and easy to customize for the do-it-yourself 'er or design professional.  We now have pre-packaged kits available with everything you need or order by the foot and customize your options just the way you need it.

2018 Color of the Year

Pantone announced the 2018 Color of the Year this week. Last's years Greenery has been replaced with Ultra Violet - a very lovely purple. Purple evokes feelings of wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity and mystery.  We usually associate purple with royalty and luxury. Since purple combines both the energy of red and the calmness of blue, it provides balance to your space.

Here are some fabrics from www.InteriorDecorating.com that feature beautiful purples.

Casablanca Velvet 62

St Tropez 34

Zazzle Berries Drew

Savoy Stripe Lavender

Trellis vs Ogee Fabric

Adding thousands of new fabrics to www.InteriorDecorating.com in the last month, fabric trends become apparent to me.  A trellis or lattice work pattern features a supporting structure of interwoven pieces of wood or metal.  A similar type of pattern is called ogee fabrics for its onion like style.

Ogee Fabric Pattern

Fretwork/Lattice Fabric Pattern