I knew that I wanted to redo our living room after moving, but we are on a really tight budget for the next year. I decided to restrict my decorating budget to the amount we got from our moving/yard sale and then anything that I could sell on Craigslist or eBay. Not surprisingly, I don’t have enough to buy a new sofa or even to slipcover my blue Craigslist wing chairs liked I had hoped to (though that is the eventual goal). So my new goal was to find some fabric that tied in all of the colors I already have and some of the colors I want to have in room and to reupholster my coffee-table-turned-ottoman with the new fabric.
Shopping for a specific fabric is infinitely easier if you have another fabric swatch to reference. My favorite trick is to snip off the color windows from the selvedge, especially if the print is very colorful and large. Here are the color windows from a bold fabric I’m using in another project (a kids room):
Often though, you won’t have a fabric swatch of your upholstery. Before I had paint decks, I would take pictures of the upholstery I needed to match and then go to the hardware store to pick up paint chips that match the colors in the fabric. It is so helpful when you are looking for a particular combination of colors!
Like I mentioned, my citrus green Lee Industries sofa will be staying.
As will my blue Craigslist chairs (that were originally purchased with the thought of getting them slipcovered).
I’ve been so obsessed with peacock blue lately. This image (that I’ve blogged about before) has really stuck with me. I was hoping I could find a way to connect the blue in my chairs with a more teal color.
And here are some of the interiors with similar bold colors that I knew I would be working with: green, blue, orange, black and white.
Celerie Kemble Interiors
MMR Interiors
Design by Miles ReddI knew that I wanted a floral or something with a bright pattern for reupholstering my ottoman. I considered a vintage or antique suzani at one point, but that was a bit of a risk, and could get a little too pricey for my budget.
This Donghia fabric was in the running, but ended up getting scratched because of the price per yard:
I decided to head out to Zimman’s fabric store in Boston and my heart skipped a beat when I saw this crewel fabric:
Sofa green? Check.
Wing chair blue? Check.
Peacock blue? Double check!!
Even a little coral for good measure. And all in a big, bold embroidered pattern with lots of black, white and gray.
This fabric (on the roll) was still on the pricier side – $49.99 per yard. Lucky for me, the people at Zimman’s are customer service geniuses and told me that they had about 1.5 yards in the remnant section, the exact yardage I needed for my ottoman. I ended up paying about $30 for the remnant.
I reupholstered my ottoman over the weekend and I think I’m in love. Come back tomorrow morning for the pictures. And stayed tuned for more progress in my budget living room!
Looks great! Can't wait to see what you did!
Also, I love your new blog design…it's so cheery! Good luck with your decorating, and have fun!
I love that fabric! Great find. I cant' wait to see the whole room!
Not to worry–living well on a tight budget is very in vogue right now!
Dare I say–at times, the challenge of it all can be—fun and force creativity to the limit?
Look forward to all your wonderful postings and seeing images of the new place!
hey… one of my buttons on my ottoman has the fabric pulling off. The fact that you re did yours makes me wonder if you recovered your existing buttons or if you bought new ones to recover? Are they re-coverable? Any ideas on how to get the buttons all the same tightness? this is driving me crazy because mine are not all the same.
Thanks!
Katy
I love the colors you are going for in the living room. It's going to look amazing and I'm in love with the fabric you picked! It's beyond perfect!
Who makes it?
I can't wait to see it all finished up!
oh y word, I'm drooling over that fabric, PERFECT!!!
Gorgeous. Can't wait to see it.
That fabric is lovely! I'm getting a sewing machine this week and want to make a trip to Zimman's. Which store is better – Lynn or Hudson?
Love that fabric, I cant wait to see what the ottoman looks like!
Not to be overly dramatic, but OMG PEACOCK BLUE!! I'm planning to paint the armoire in my living room, and been having trouble deciding on a color. YES! thank you. :-)
Hi! Just found your blog via Cote de Texas. I love your color palette. I find myself drawn to blues and greens too. I repainted my living room a grey-green last year and still need to find a coordinating color for my adjacent room. I can't wait to see the completed ottoman! I love your fabric selection and the price was just right.
the fabric is great! Can't wait to see your handy work tomorrow.
Oh I am loving that fabric and anxious to see your redo!!!!
can't wait!
That crewel is to die for! Congrats!
That fabric is so lovely!
i LOVE that you can make any space cute on a budget. that really is a great skill. a skill that not many can do. you're amazing! can't wait to see all you do with the place.
your new blog is SO SO CUTE. adorable.
Love that fabric! And I am equally in love with your inspiration chair! Can't wait to see your newly upholstered ottoman! Your budget decorating is really inspiring!
I'm in love with that color too! You should check out the vintage doors I got in that shade this weekend! :)
Susan @ http://www.peanutpetunia.blogspot.com
score!
Hi guys –
Thanks for all the great comments! I'm excited about the fabric too. And glad to hear there are so many fellow peacock blue lovers out there!
Katy – as far as I know, the fabric covered button kits are not reusable. The fabric-grabbing teeth get all bent up. I think you're just going to have to bite the bullet and buy another kit. Try cutting your fabric circle a little larger than the template this time so that the edges don't pull out in the future. Bummer.
Camila – I wish I knew who made the crewel fabric! It's the beauty and faults of Zimman's – designer fabric at a discount, but no information available. :(
Journey Chic – I've only ever gone to the store in Lynn. It is truly an experience. Fabric HEAVEN!! Make sure to give yourself at least a few hours to shop. The store is gigantic!
What gorgeous fabric! Can't wait to see the photos of your ottoman!
I'm not sure how I found your blog but I've been reading for a little while and love your blog! I live in Boston and I'm ashamed to say I've never been to Zimman's…but I'm definitely going soon!
Jenny I just have to say I am fascinated by your sense of style! I absolutely love everything you post and you truly inspire me. This website completely made my week! I stumbled upon it when I was googling "how to make an ottoman out of a coffee table" and VOILA! There was your blog! It has been such a treat to read, and everyone at my work keeps asking me about it (I read it on my breaks :) You are truly gifted and I wish you many, many years of happy decorating! I can't even tell you how much I love your blog! You are a breath of fresh air! And I can't wait to see if you re-covered your ottoman! I used your same instructions (same table too, from craigslist!) with a gold & sage green damask print from ebay. Can't wait to get it in the mail! Cheers to you! :)
-Jenna
Beautiful blog and great design info. I love all of the pictures! Can't wait to see how the room turns out!!
I also love your mention of LEE industries….they have so many styles and fabrics to choose from, the possibilities are almost endless! LEE also has such a great sustainability story. Did you know that all of their furniture is made with soy-based foam cushioning with BiOH polyols – which is better for the environment and uses less petroleum chemicals? They also use wood from responsible sources, water based finishes, & other eco-friendly materials. If you're interested, some videows and insight into LEE can be found here: http://bit.ly/zWHfX.
Thanks again for sharing your design story with us… it really is a beautiful blog!
Here in this article we will discuss on the evolution of wedding ring with the passing time. At talk about France. pandora jewellery uk In France and mostly in French speaking countries three interwoven rings are considered as a wedding ring. pandora jewellery These three interwoven rings stand for Christian virtues of faith, hope and love. Here the word love indicates a particular type of perfect disinterested love synonymous pandora jewelry to the Greek word agape. This pattern slides off quickly because the rings flow over each other. Women in Greek and Anatolian which consist of most of modern turkey wear pandora uk and receive puzzle wedding ring.