How to Express Your Style with Furniture
Your home is so much more than just where you live. It’s more than a place to sleep, a place to sit, a place to eat. It’s a place where you create lasting memories with your family and friends. A place where you can truly express your style without strangers judging you for it. It’s truly yours. And if you’re looking around your living room right now thinking to yourself, “I have to do something with this space,” then you’ve come to the right place.
Take, for example, the sofa you’re sitting on right now. Is it black, gray, or brown? If it is and you love it, that’s okay! We here at Willis Furniture want to be sure you get exactly what you want.
But, say you don’t like your black, gray or brown sofa. Did you know there are more color options out there? And no, we’re not talking about sacrificing the style of the sofa you want just so you can have a different color. When you customize your upholstery, the options are endless! So you can have everything you want in a new sofa - the perfect color, perfect style, and perfect comfort.
But how do you even go about customizing your new sofa, sectional, or chair? What are all of your options? How will you ever decide?? Fear not, dear reader. Here are ten of the choices you have when customizing your upholstery:
Choose the perfect fabric for your upholstery when you customize!
1. Fabric
When deciding how to customize your furniture, you have a plethora of fabrics to choose from. One of the most popular sofa fabrics is leather - you can read more about leather personalization here.
Another popular fabric choice is microfiber, a synthetic fabric that is known for its durability and resistance to stains. This kind of fabric is also relatively inexpensive, making it a great choice if you spent too much money on takeout last month. However, be warned - microfiber isn’t as breathable as other fabrics and may not be as comfy-cozy as other options.
Cotton and linen are also popular upholstery fabrics. These are natural materials that are known for their breathability and comfort (AKA cozy-factor), so these options are great for homes in hot or humid climates. They’re relatively easy to care for, but they are known to wrinkle easily, so they’re not as durable as a microfiber fabric would be.
Looking for another natural fabric? Then look no further than wool. Wool is comfortable, durable, and sustainable, but are less breathable than cotton and linen. These fabrics are naturally resistant to fire and stains, so this is a great option for homes with human babies or fur babies. But do be warned that wool is a rare find – depending on your needs, you may be better off with indoor or outdoor fabrics that have a softer feel and offer ultraviolet light and stain resistance.
Bring your space to life with custom color options.
2. Color
We all know how important color is. That’s why you can choose the color of your upholstery when you customize! Go from drab to fab with an orange fabric, or opt for something clean, understated and elegant with off-white.
One factor to consider when choosing your color is your lifestyle. If you have kids or pets, you may want to opt for a darker color due to everyday messes that are bound to happen. On the other hand, if you’re planning to use your custom furniture in a sitting room that may only be used when you have guests over, having a lighter fabric may be the route you want to go.
Customize your comfort when you pick your perfect seat cushion.
3. Seat Cushions
Seat cushions provide support and comfort for your legs and back - and don’t you want to get your legs and back the best treatment possible? This is where the firmness of the cushion comes in.
Cushion fitness depends on the type of foam used to build it; High-density foam or low-density foam. These types of foams are just as they sound, with high-density being firmer and low-density being softer.
Sofa cushions aren’t just built using foam; other fillings include down and feathers. While foam is a great option for those looking for support, down and feathers are great options for those looking for softness. In addition, there are also more resilient spun fibers, and even springs in the cushions, that are made by hand and put into casings to help maintain the shape and function. You may even be able to opt for a combination of fillings to give you the perfect balance of comfort and support.
Let your personal style shine when you customize your arm style.
4. Arm Styles
Sometimes overlooked, arm styles of your upholstered furniture plays a big role in determining the overall style of your sofa, chair or sectional, and also affects functionality and comfort!
A common style arm you may have seen is a rolled arm. This arm style is characterized by a curved or angled arm that sits higher than the seat cushion - it’s traditional, it’s elegant, and it’s also comfortable to lean on. You can also choose to use a track arm in your custom upholstery. This arm style has a more sleek and streamlined look, making it a great option if your style is more contemporary or minimalistic. Or, you can opt for a square arm, which features a straight and angled arm that sits at the same height as the seat cushion, making it more modern and clean.
Nail trim is a decorative detail that you have the option to add when customizing your upholstery. Adding this kind of detail to your furniture can add a sense of luxury and glamor to your living space, and can also be used to create a vintage or antique look, depending on the style of the nails.
Nail trims come in many different shapes and sizes - round, dome-shaped, square, rectangular, even vintage-inspired nails with a distressed finish! Whatever you decide to add, nails or tracks can provide a secure and sturdy hold, which protects your sofa, sectional, or chair from wear and tear.
Add a nail trim to elevate the style of your space.
5. Nail Trim Options
Nail trim is a decorative detail that you have the option to add when customizing your upholstery. Adding this kind of detail to your furniture can add a sense of luxury and glamor to your living space, and can also be used to create a vintage or antique look, depending on the style of the nails.
Nail trims come in many different shapes and sizes - round, dome-shaped, square, rectangular, even vintage-inspired nails with a distressed finish! Whatever you decide to add, nails or tracks can provide a secure and sturdy hold, which protects your sofa, sectional, or chair from wear and tear.
Fit your furniture to your personal style by customizing your sofa, sectional or chair legs.
6. Leg Styles
Another typically overlooked upholstery element, the leg style of your furniture is also an important factor when designing your piece. It helps in stylizing your sofa, chair or sectional, but also affects the stability of the furniture and the height of the seat.
Choose from a tapered leg, turned leg, block leg, or metal leg. A tapered leg has a narrow top that gradually widens toward the bottom, creating a cone shape that’s modern and sleek. If you’re looking for a different option that still has a minimalistic and contemporary feel, then a block leg is another style to consider! This style features a rectangular shape that sits flush with the bottom of the piece. Or, choose a metal leg for a sleek and modern look.
If your style is more traditional, then you may want to consider a turned leg. This style leg is a more round or oval shape that creates an elegant and traditional look, and is also great if you’re looking to create a more formal look in a room.
7. Banded Skirt Options
Not a fan of choosing a leg? No problem! Try opting for a banded skirt. This is a great option if you’re looking for a simple and clean way to further express your style with your furniture, or go crazy with frill or tassel skirts to add some extra detail to your space.
Fit your seating to your spacing with custom length options!
8. Length
Furnishing your small apartment, or a large great room? When customizing your upholstery, you have the option of choosing the length of your sofa or sectional! This is immensely helpful if you need a sofa that fits in an odd nook space, or you need your sectional to be a bit longer to fill a large room.
9. USBs
One of the more fun features of customizing your furniture is the option to add USBs. No more having to move your sofa to access the outlet behind it - plug your phone right into it! The convenience factor of this option is something you may want to consider if you spend hours at a time watching scrolling on social media or watching videos on your phone.
Add pops of color to your space with contrasting pillows.
10. Contrasting Pillows
Did you know that when customizing your upholstery, you can also add contrasting pillows? This is a great option to take the design of your space to the next level. Ordering a cream sofa? Add a pop of color by including some bright blue pillows! Or maybe the sectional you decided on is going to be a bright, unique color - if that’s the case, try adding neutral pillows to complete the look. Adding contrasting pillows is the perfect finishing touch to express your true style.
Are you still thinking you need help with customizing? No problem! You always have the option to ask a design expert. Here at Willis, our experienced design experts are at your service to give you advice about your space and even provide shopping help.
Don’t know where to start? Take our short design quiz to discover your style and get matched with an in-home specialist.