apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Using multiple fabrics on one piece has been around a lot longer than the advent of Domino magazine. It's a classic depending on the fabric used and the piece of furniture it's used on...

In. But it has to be two patterns to really count, in my opinion. The use of patterned fabric on the sides and back of the sofa in the upper picture is so subtle that it doesn't have much "two-fabric" impact.

So much depends on the piece of furniture and the specific fabric. This can look great or simply awful. For "great", my preference is no more than 2 related fabrics, both rather understated in design and maybe in color (although two closely related brights might work on the right piece), on furniture with clean non-fluffy lines. Like an upholstered dining chair with the front in one fabric and the back in another -- maybe a solid and a subtle stripe.

That multi fabric "cottage" style that involves five or six rather different florals or something of the sort -- I HOPE that's out!

Traditional furniture such as that French settee in the first photo upholstered with two fabrics isn't really a "trend" - It's a classic detail dating from 17th century French furnituremakers, where elaborate silk damasks would be used on the more visible seats and inside backs of upholstered chairs and settees, but to save money a less expensive cotton or linen fabric would be used on the back side since it would rarely be seen when placed against a wall...

Later in the 19th Century when many English noble families lost their lands and much of their incomes, they would find themselves burdened with great homes filled with old furnishings that over the years had worn seats and backs but they did not have the funds to replace or refurbish these pieces - therefore you'd see antique chairs and sofas with their sides and backs covered in the original and relatively unscathed hand-tooled leathers, silk damasks and brocades and the seats, arms and inside backs would be newly upholstered in less expensive printed cottons, linens and velvets.

In the late 20th Century, Ralph Lauren, Mario Buatta and others popularized the "English Countryhouse" Style in the United States - and we saw brand-new traditional upholstered furnishings purposely covered in two fabrics as you see here, made to give the feeling and "prestige" of antique furnishings that had been passed down through the ages.

Always in. For centuries, Europeans have been reupholstering seat cushions in fabrics that coordinate -- but don't match -- the original. It's a low-key way to live with antiques.

But it can look silly on a brand-new piece of furniture.

Looks ridiculous on a modern overstuffed sofa. Looks great on a sculptural peiece, as mentioned before. The looks I really hate? Dark leather with a contrasting light suede/microfiber. ick.

Who is this woman sitting on the couch? I have never seen her before. Is she "in?" Is she "out" or even worse, "on her way "out"?

I agree it's a classic look, but think it's one that's very difficult to pull off in this day and age.

I think it's in, as in classic, when it looks right, and I know what I mean when I see it. Hazards of the style are country patchy plaids or checks of two different sizes or the reverse of one another, and when it tries too hard to be funky, punky or rad.

taht is drew barrymore, no?

i like the couches pictured. didn't know the historical precedent for the design choice---but i love that. wouldn't do it on something new, but if i found a beautiful antique with partial wear, i think i'd pick a beautifully coordinating fabric to reupholster the worn out bits.

that long, long couch looks really, really comfortable...

...for at least a couple of fully grown irish wolfhounds....

I'm leery. No fan of these examples. I can see how it might work in the right setting. I can also see how it would be practical and how, being a fabric hoarder, I'd be tempted to do it. Still leery.

Like the tragic zebra skin debacle of the past decade, it's simply not enough to throw one on the floor and Voila! I'm a trendsetter :-(

Kayingleside

it's all about the pairing, folks. it's all about the pairing.