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Scatter cushions can give you a whole new look on a tight budget
October 31, 2016
Scatter cushions can give you a whole new look on a tight budget
If a room is desperately in need of a bit of spice, but your budget won’t stretch as far as doing a full interior design makeover, then consider the brilliant versatility of scatter cushions. They are an effective way to change a colour scheme and transform a room without repainting walls or recovering furniture.
Most décor shops have a resident interior design consultant who will be able to help you match fabrics and colours, and it helps if you have a few photographs of the room and fabrics already used on the chairs and couches. If you are starting your interior décor from scratch though, you might want to consider going for neutral tones and then for example, use animal hide printed scatter cushions to create an African décor theme.
Here are a few simple rules for choosing scatter cushions
Colour is key:
Your scatters should never match the fabric of the sofa, chair or bed that they will be placed on. This is a rather outdated concept and cushions are supposed to add colour and interest to a furniture piece, not blend into it. However, they should work in harmony with floor rugs, curtains, artworks or other design elements.
Be creative with sizes:
People often think cushions should be the same size and shape, but the opposite is actually true. Just as height variance of the furniture in a room adds interest and breaks the uniformity of a solid line, varying the shape, size and pattern of your scatter cushions can create depth and interest to the room. Don’t be afraid to play with size but be careful not to throw off the balance of the room with too much variance.
How many is too many?
An eclectic, comfortable look can be obtained by using lots of different cushions in contrasting colours with matching designs. If you want a more formal look, then use fewer cushions. It’s really dependent on the size of the chair or couch; two large cushions on a solid colour with two smaller cushions in a contrasting colour or pattern will create a more tailored feel to the room’s design.
Colour can change a room:
Bright scatter cushions can add a charming accent to a dull, dark looking room, but if there is a lot of light in the room then bright colours can be overwhelming. Darker cushions often make a light room seem cosier, and if you want a room to seem smaller and more intimate, then match these tones with the carpet or rug and the curtains.
Setting:
Depending on where you are going to use the cushions, whether it be outside or inside, make sure you pick out the right fabric for the job and see what fabric is on offer for the location of the cushions. you wouldn’t want to have outdoor cushions on the inside and visa versa.
If you are looking to add an element of allure but don’t want to experiment with colour or heavy patterns, then look for interesting textures such as velvet, mohair or embroidered cotton. Scatter cushions in neutral colours with rich textures still add a significant amount of interest to the style or theme of a room.
If you’re overwhelmed or aren’t sure exactly what to do, then pop into the shop or give us a call, one of our interior designers will be happy to help you out and help pick the right design for your cushions and within your budget!
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Back in March of 2020, Bianca and Jana were dusting off their Fez’s and grabbing the pashminas out of storage in preparation to Rock the Casbah! However, as we all know and vividly remember - with March, came the eventual Covid shutdown, and instead of frolicking down the Moroccan streets, we all shut ourselves inside and watched the days tick by… 3 Years later, and now we can finally say - with conviction - that they’re going to Morocco at the start of September! This blog, filled with excitement and curiosity about all the weird and wonderful curios they might find, and endless sourcing they’ll do, stays as a reminder that sometimes plans change, things go awry and there’s not much you can do about it other than persevere - and that we did! So, here’s Bianca and Jana’s innermost thoughts about the trip, 3 years before it came to fruition, enjoy :) We've got our passports out and Jana has already picked out what she's going to wear each day… Come March [September] we'll be heading north with Air France to the Kingdom of Morocco, bright eyed and bushy tailed as we make our base in the ancient city of Marrakesh (also known as Marrakech to the French, but we're not French, so we'll go with the English version until all that fuss about Brexit is sorted out) - This turned into a year long negotiations trade, and now us outsiders would pay nearly double what we used to if we visit the UK - thankfully our flight is direct!! We'll be looking for inspiration and will be investigating what's there that we could possibly bring back to The Hoed. We can't wait to experience the atmosphere and afro-arabic influences of this amazing place as we visit the celebrated souks and off-the-beaten track artists and craftsmen that make Marrakesh so special. We're desperate to see the beautifully hand-crafted furniture, textiles, fabrics, rugs, carpets, objets d'art, accessories, lighting… anything that catches our eye and could possibly be brought back south. Berber mats and rugs are definitely on our list, as are the kind of furnishings you might find in a gorgeous Bedouin tent. If you think about it, the Bedouin refined the art of "glamping" into an artform - fabulous carpets on the ground, soft, billowing fabrics hung here and there, plump cushions spread on the ground, intricate leatherwork and carved wood, patinated metal… Total Glamping vibes! We just love all of it and will be tracking as much of it down as we can. We'll also have an eye or three out for wonderful ceramics and glassware and wonderful lamps that give off soft, filtered light. For us it's about workmanship, so we'll hopefully be finding the people who make furniture and ceramics using techniques that have been passed down over countless generations meaning that everything we look at will have its own, and its own special story. Our mission is to share those stories with you and, if it's feasible, bring some of that special workmanship home to the Rainbow Nation. We're most definitely inspired and are sure this is going to be a truly special trip! Counting the sleeps till then! Less than a month to go now - we will be keeping the updates going on our social channels as well as another few blog posts to explain in detail our wild adventures - Stay tuned!
A safari theme never really runs out of viewing time and is particularly popular for interiors at the moment. The warm, earthy tones give a sense of comfort and the accessories offer the anticipation of travel and adventure.
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