Soft Furnishings
The selection of colours, patterns and fabrics for curtains, seating, cushions and carpets should be made now, despite the fact that they may not be bought until funds are realised after the VAT claim is made. The reason is simple: these elements are crucial to the total design scheme and, unless they are clearly specified, it will be difficult to identify the appropriate wallpaper and paint colours to use.
Nothing can be considered in isolation when devising an interior layout. It is, in fact, the way colours, patterns and shapes harmonise or contrast that makes a scheme succeed or fail. The perfect design is one that is developed as a single picture, with all the various elements within it somehow connected. This might be by shade, colour, shape, style or pattern. Soft furnishings help bridge gaps and resolve conflicts by bringing different elements together. Their value within the overall plan should never be underestimated.
'Sample boards' are produced by professional designers to present and assess the compatibility of all the different individual elements involved. You can create your own by overlapping fabric, carpet, wallpaper and paint samples on a large piece of card. Organise them according to how they will be connected in the actual room. Add photographs of large items of furniture or samples of timber, metal and other materials, to complete the scheme's component parts. Position the sample-board under both natural and artificial light conditions and at different angles in the appropriate room, to see how the scheme performs.
