Fabric of fashion
Sukhmani
Another trend that’s fast catching on is the mix of leather with fabric. Can you use a leather sofa with fabric chairs? Most definitely yes! Can you use leather and fabric on the same sofa? Yes again…!
Leather sofas are a classic furniture piece and have always been connected with style and luxury. You’ll find breathtaking pieces that are timelessly classic and those that are edgy and modern. Fabric upholstery, on the other hand, exudes comfort, warmth and a homely feeling. Leather and fabric combination thus offers the ultimate comfort and style. A sofa with both leather and fabric can easily become the centrepiece of any living room.
Don’t be scared at the thought of mixing both leather and fabric sofas all in one space. Mixing different fabrics and textures may seem difficult but if you stick to the basics it’s easy to achieve a truly stylish look. Mixing fabrics creates textural interest. Leather and fabric furniture pieces almost always mix well, as long as you keep a few principles in mind.
- Ideally, leather furniture should be used sparingly, mixing one or two pieces into groupings that mainly consist of upholstered furniture. Too much of leather can feel cold, and the similar style and shape repeated over and again doesn’t look visually intriguing.
- If you have a three-seater leather sofa in your living room or den, lighten up the look with chairs featuring fabric upholstery. The fabric chairs will provide a soft contrast to the leather sofa and will keep the room balanced. While a leather sofa can give the space a sophisticated style, fabric chairs will lend a warm touch. Add the same fabric cushions on the leather sofa and this will tie the whole look beautifully.
- The chairs must compliment the colour of the sofa.
- Accent the leather sofa with a decorative throw blanket. The blanket must feature one of the colours in the fabric chairs.
- It’s important to keep the shape and size of your sofas similar, as one oversized leather sofa and one tiny 2-seater fabric sofa will not create an ultra-stylish look, the idea is to make them look as though they belong together. This is also the case for colours. Even though the colours can be different, try and keep shades and tones consistent. For example, if you have a square black leather sofa with chrome feet, don’t match it with a round floral fabric sofa with wooden feet.
- The key to using contrasting textures, patterns and materials through your sofas is to keep a neutral wall base. This doesn’t necessarily mean white or beige but if you do use colour remember to reflect the style and theme in the room.
- If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge into the world of mixing leather and fabric sofas, then try adding a single leather (if you have a fabric sofa) or fabric chair (if you have a leather sofa) accessorised with a throw or pillow to slowly inject a bit of this trend into your home.
- If your room is small and can accommodate just one sofa, try adding leather and fabric both on the same sofa. Such mixed fabric sofas look amazingly sophisticated.
Now, mix and match away!
(Sukhmani is a Chandigarh-based interior and landscape Designer)
