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Need a LOT of help with fabric selection

12 years ago

Hi everyone...

I'm in the process of redecorating my living/dining area and have decided (tentatively!) to go with a navy sofa....I just got back from C& B (having a custom upholstery sale) and while I found a sofa I think I like, and a muted dark navy fabric I like as well..I am stumped as to how to pick out BOTH a coordinating fabric AND a rug....btw, I have an reddish hardwood floor which I think complicates things even further.....ANY suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Comments (22)

  • 12 years ago

    second fabric (apologies cannot figure out how to upload multiple images)

  • 12 years ago

    here is the sofa

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • 12 years ago

    I'm a little confused. The fabric that is on the seat of the chair - is that the fabric for the couch and you're looking for a coordinating fabric for the chair or are you doing the chair in both fabrics.

    Assuming you're looking for a coordinating fabric - the first one, for me is a little more traditional and a little more weightier in style while the second one is a little more contemporary and a little lighter in style.. What is the rest of your room like?

  • 12 years ago

    Nice choice of blue on that sofa frame! it will look great.

    Where is the coordinating fabric going? On a chair? Pillows? Both fabrics are lovely.

  • 12 years ago

    I love a navy sofa and you have so many options for fabric and a rug. Below is a link to tons of rooms with navy blue sofas. I love the first print on the chair, very classy. Are you going more towards contemporary or traditional?

    Here is a link that might be useful: [navy blue sofa rooms[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/decorating-a-blue-couch-phbr0lbl-bl~l_36969)

  • 12 years ago

    Depends what kind of rug you want-- solid or pattern? I feel it is usually easiest to pick the rug first, if a pattern.

    I love, love, love navy sofas. One of my favorite colors for a sofa.

  • 12 years ago

    yes, the dark blue (muted navy) is the color of the sofa i am considering...

    i'm trying to pick out a coordinating fabric for the chairs....(the chairs are still undecided, i may even reupholster existing chairs with a coordinating fabric)

    truthfully the second fabric seems to work better with the existing room which is more traditional based upon the fixed elements such as flooring and mouldings and fireplace (not visible in the pic)

    it's funny but in the store, the first (lighter) fabric was my preference, but once i brought the samples inside, the second seemed to work better with the main environment

    the room will be completely re-done...

    normally i would not start with the sofa color, but more and more i started feeling like i needed some color (not a neutral beige/greige sofa) and going with a navy blue limits my chair choice.. basically it is a simple sofa/2 opposing chairs/ rug/coffee table setting...the room will be basically a blank slate with the exception of the reddish hardwood floors and traditional trim mouldings

  • 12 years ago

    thank you all...yes i agree it would be best to pick a rug first...i've been looking....but if i go with the navy sofa i am thinking it really more comes down to a choice or modern or transitional type rug to work with the sofa...basically i am leaning toward a more neutral sofa with splashes of navy or even a killam type rug with navy but the dominant color not navy..

    the 2 patterns with the navy prints are what i was considering for the 2 chairs facing the sofa....i've been persusing online and the amount of 'blue' prints is beyond the pale...i could do this for days and day...

    my first impression was the first print seemed to work better with my general existing style (which leans toward traditional) but i'm not a huge fan of extremely traditional prints, but the more contemporary print seems a bit 'off' in this space...

    any other print or pattern ideas would be hugely appreciated...the amount of patterns and colors out there is just daunting..i basically don't like true florals or really exceptionally 'traditional' prints

  • 12 years ago

    Do you have another accent colour in your home or a colour that you just happen to like. Perhaps a mixed pattern of navy blue and yellow or navy blue and rust.

    maybe try to imagine some of these combinations in a floral or a stripe.

    Here is a link that might be useful: navy blue colour combos

    This post was edited by blfenton on Fri, Sep 20, 13 at 22:14

  • 12 years ago

    I'd start with the solid fabric you've selected for the sofa (beautiful); pick a rug you love next; and only then start looking at other upholstery fabrics for the room.

    I love navy and navy with cream, but even though I really like the other fabrics you're considering, I would want some other color(s) to bring life to the room. That's just me, though. I'd love navy and cream with a leafy green; or with coral; or with golds; or many other combinations.

    This post was edited by lazydaisynot on Sat, Sep 21, 13 at 1:01

  • PRO
    12 years ago

    You need to make a decision about a rug before you finalize your fabric for your sofa.

    I had pulled these selections for a room concept. See if any of these are the direction you're looking to go. Sometimes you can make a decision more easily by 'X-ing' out the style rugs that you DON'T want to consider. Once you make the decision about the sofa upholstery and rug, the choices of fabric for the chairs will be more limited and easier to select from.

    I favor the Ikat design that I have enlarged, but I'm not sure the colors will work with your upholstery selection. I often recommend to clients that they purchase the smallest size of the rug they want to use, so they have something to drag to the stores when comparing colors and finishes. I hope this helps.

  • PRO
    12 years ago

    Here are some blue and white Ikat & batik pattern selections for inspiration.

    The Blue and White pillow shown is from Crate & Barrel and really a lovely addition to a blue room.

  • 12 years ago

    blfenton...

    basically i'm starting fresh, the only other color is the reddish oak flooring...there really isn't any other color in the room...

    lazy...yes, picking the rug makes sense, unless i go with a solid rug, which i could pretty much pick up whatever background color i decide for the chair fabric

    i have to admit picking a rug is torture for me...there are soooo many styles, colors, weaves, etc...

  • 12 years ago

    thank you so much bev!

    i think one of my concerns about the rug being dominantly blue is ending up with 'blue overload'

    for example i wouldn't be opposed to putting down a more neutral rug OR say something like a kilihm rug where the dominant color isn't blue but has blue elements incorporated in the rug ....the linked rug isn't particularly what i have in mind, but used more as an example

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • PRO
    12 years ago

    desert_solitaire,

    That's certainly another way to go. Very classic. You could also go with a fairly neutral rug selection. You still have to decide on the rug before you can select the upholstery for the chair, because the selection of rugs compared to upholstery is limited.

    Maybe it would help to search for an 'inspiration photo' of a room that really pleases you.

  • 12 years ago

    I have had navy sofas in my formal living room and am looking to get that for my family room ( I had a thread about a month ago about this). Anyway, I think that any and all of the rugs shared would be wonderful. Navy really is a great color to work with.( The only tricky part I am finding is finding the right navy. )
    In my living room (which is "from the 80's" but still looks good) I have it with pale coral and and light blue almost lilac. In my family room, I have had it with reds/burgundy
    . I say any and all of those rugs would be great.

  • 12 years ago

    beverly....thank you again for posting the images....i need to learn how to set up a mood board

    part of the decision process on the sofa and rug is my condo has a fairly traditional look...egg and dart with crown moulding, brick fireplace (painted white) so i grapple with going with a more modern type of rug design vs. something more traditional...the sofa itself has bit more of a modern vibe, so i guess you could say i may be steering toward 'eclectic' ....also i think DH likes the more traditional/transitional feeling as well

    i have indeed been looking on houzz (searching navy blue sofa) and while i have seem some beautiful rooms, thus far none of them seem to really be anything i could replicate

    i have a LOT of green and tans in my house and it's really hard to look past existing color schemes !

    sheila...it's funny you should mention getting a second navy sofa...i have a family room that is also on the redecorate agenda, and my DH mentioned (since we may be moving in 3 or 4 years, that maybe consider getting the same sofa for downstairs (thinking for example we buy a house with a great room we could use both sofas facing each other)

    regarding the "right navy"...i went immediately to a very dark navy fabric that had a toned down effect (some of the navy's almost look royal blue to me) which i found to be very pleasing

  • PRO
    12 years ago

    I think we might be of more assistance if we had more info to work with.....like a picture or three of the room.

    When I hear egg & dart moulding, I begin to think that the MCM sofa selected might be a bit light in scale. It's an important piece and it has to be right.

  • 12 years ago

    hi beverly, sorry for the late response, i have just been slammed with work the past few days....i did in fact post some pictures of the living room/dining space last april

    it doesn't show the egg and dart moulding, but you can see by the pictures the rooms are pretty generic, the fireplace and mouldings are what give it a more traditional look..

    back to the sofa, i went back to C&B with DH and looked at the sofa in question again, and i agree with you on second look, also i have concerns about the lack of a center leg (i had my husband bounce on the sofa in the middle, he's normal weight person, and i saw a bit too much 'flex' for my comfort)

    i did find a lee sofa in the catalogue with similar dimensions with a center leg and a bit more transition style (don't see any way of posting 2 links so i will link it in the next post

    Here is a link that might be useful: living room and dining area

  • 12 years ago

    also DH wanted to look at some gray upholstery swatches (which was my original direction) , so i chose some swatches that i think would probably work equally as well as the navy....

    more and more i feel the rug is going come into dominance in choosing either navy or gray....there is a local rug company that is having a going out of business sale (yay for me!) so i plan to stop by and see what kind of selection they have ...

    also, i'm really not keen at all about purchasing upholstered pieces that i cannot see and sit upon....even though C&R had several lee sofas, none of them were anything like the one i picked...i've purchased sofas 'off the floor' and have purchased custom sofas over the years, and i have to admit the 3 custom sofas were not exactly satisfying experiences, even though they were 'livable'

    Here is a link that might be useful: lee sofa

  • PRO
    12 years ago

    I think Lee Ind builds a fine product, but I selected this sofa and chair for my client in 2007. It was a mix of down and something. The store had it on the floor so we could sit in it and be sure & it was very comfortable.

    My client just changed it out last month after 6 years because, although it still looked good, it was almost like sitting on the floor. We should have purchased a cushion with more substance.

  • 12 years ago

    oh goodness, bev, that does not look good....my much older than that ethan allan sofa (the one with the ivory slipcover on it in the picture) , is still in good condition but the 100% cotton fabric is shot...and so are my chairs (still debating re-upholstery on the chairs, but i am tired of the rolled arm)....

    i found a couple of taylor king sofas that are potential candidates, i may have to see if i can find a local retailer for them