Several years ago, I took a client upholstery fabric shopping. The goal was to recover her vintage sofa. I asked her to pull some swatches so that I could see what she was drawn to and she quickly made a pile of traditional tapestries and dated florals. We then played one of my favorite interior design games called “elimination”. I displayed all of the fabrics in front of us, held up each swatch and asked her “yes”, “no” or “maybe”. She shrugged her shoulders, tilted her head and asked “maybe” as if it were a question. This continued until every sample was in a “maybe” pile. We were getting nowhere.

My client had grabbed a variety of fabric swatches that she thought she “should” have but none of them put a smile on her face. None of them made her happy. One by one, I held up each swatch again, this time to her waist, as if It was a skirt. I asked her if she would wear it. Every swatch evoked the same response, “No way”!

I declared a re-do. I grabbed a whole new bunch of fabric options with a more modern vibe. This new batch of swatches mimicked her current wardrobe and young, urban lifestyle. It was a textured mix of solids, checks, stripes and fresh florals in a variety of linens, cotton and wools. The palette was also timeless and classic so it would blend well and grow with her existing furnishings. It didn’t take long to choose a winner and every time she walks by her sofa, a smile comes over her face.

The next time you are ready to dress your room, take a cue from your closet.

Stay Tuned. Stay Inspired.

Team Lynen