Designer Tips, Tricks & Trends - October / November

Beginning in June I began a series of the most common design mistakes that I've encountered. I've been an interior designer for twenty-four years, and in that time I've seen people make the same mistakes over and over when designing the interior of their homes. I'd like to share the most common mistakes with you and give you some tips on how to avoid making them in your own home. We'll cover a different mistake in each issue.

Mistake #5 - Not Fluffing Up Your Sofa Cushions
I can't tell you how many times I walk into someone's home and their sofa and chair cushions look like they've never been turned or fluffed up. The sofa looks worn and tired, just because it needs a little TLC. If I go to one of my client's homes and see this sorry state of affairs, I ask them if I can do a little punching. It's great for getting out your frustrations.

If your furniture needs some TLC, here's what to do. Start by removing all throw pillows, seat, and back cushions from the furniture. Do one piece of furniture at a time. Keep track of where the cushions had been on the piece and flip them over as you remove them. Take the seat cushions that have been flipped over, and if there is more than one the same size, rotate them so that the same cushion isn't getting all of the wear. If you haven't flipped your cushions in a while (or ever!), then the seam on the front of the cushion has probably moved down. Once you flip the cushion over, the seam will need to move down, so try to grab a little of the fabric and gently move it down so that the front seam is in the middle of the cushion where it belongs. Now scrunch the cushion and beat it a little to try to get it to fluff up to its original volume. This is especially effective when you have down blend cushions. Put the seat cushions back on the piece of furniture and smooth the fabric and adjust the cushions so that they look uniform.

Now take the back cushions and do the same thing. Back cushions can be smashed and beaten (gently, of course), even more than seat cushions. Rotate them if possible and place them against the back of the piece. Smooth them out so that they also look uniform.

The final step is to take your throw pillows, flip them, rotate them, and give them a good fluff and beating. Finish by putting a karate chop right in the top center. Your furniture piece should now look fresh and neat. If your cushions still look sad, you may need to replace the inserts. Any good upholsterer can do this for you. If the fabric is looking worn, too, it may be time to reupholster or replace that piece of furniture. We'd be happy to help you to select some new furniture and maybe give that room a little freshening up. Just click here and tell us how we can help.

Here's a photo of some well maintained cushions. Keeping your cushions turned and fluffed will not only make them look better, but will also extend their life, thereby saving you money.

Almost everyone suffers from the "non fluffing syndrome", so don't feel like you're the only one with neglected cushions. Get your frustrations out on your cushions and email me some 'before' & 'after' photos. I'll post them on my blog. Now have some fun!