Want to change the way your rooms look but can’t be bothered with the time and effort needed for a massive renovation or maybe you can’t spare the cash? Turn that frown around because we have the perfect solution for you!

Using fabric to change the look of a room is one of the most inexpensive ways to dress it up differently. If you are sceptical and don't think a few coloured cloths can do much, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Below are some great tips you can use to transform your room today!

Intro to Fabrics

According to Joann Eckstut and Sheran James, authors of Room Redux, The Home Decorating Workbook, fabric is defined by three qualities: its hand, which is the way if feels - rough, smooth, thick, or thin; its texture and finally the pattern on the fabric. As a broad generalisation, rough and bold geometrical patterns tend to be more modern and masculine while smooth, glossy cottons and silks tend to be more traditional and feminine in style.

Creating the Look You Want

The trick is to know that different fabrics have different prevailing personalities. After you decide on the look or the ambience you want for the particular room, zoom in on the fabrics that will help you achieve that effect. If you want a room to appear easygoing, cheerful, and laidback, go for casual fabrics such as calico, duck, denim and homespun. On the other hand, if you want a room that exudes an air of sophistication and elegance, go for velvet, chenille, silk or suede. And if you are decorating a "play" or "creative" room for your kids or yourself, think outrageous fun patterns and fabric. You can go for bold red or polka dots fabric to decorate furniture in the room. Don't be afraid to experiment and let your imagination run wild but don't forget to plan or else you'll find a room that's too bright or too distracting to be in!

Decide On What You Want

You must start by taking an honest look at the room you want to transform and envision the changes you want to make. Is it to make the room seem cozier, brighter or are you trying to create a theme? Once you get down to what you really want, then achieving your goal will become easier. Let your idea of the room seep into your conscious mind and decide on how you will go about it. But don't worry, we will give you the tips you need to complete this project!

Transforming A Boring Room

If you want to make a room more interesting, try playing with colours and patterns. Here is a good guideline: Use a solid, stripe, and a small-medium scale pattern fabric and let each of the three fabrics share at least one colour. Finally, distribute the pattern throughout the room following the 60/30/10 rule. Use your primary fabric, (usually the solid) in 60 percent of the room, the next fabric in 30 percent of the room, and the last fabric throughout 10 percent of the room. You will be amazed at how that simple exercise could change the whole look of any room!

Brightening A Dark Room

Try picking light-coloured and light-reflective fabrics that have a natural luster to them, like satins, moirés, and chintzes. Reserve dark colours for rooms you use mainly at night, or ones that would benefit from a romantic and dark setting. You can also put new throw pillows on your sofa, loveseat and chairs to brighten the room. Consider buying decorative pillows in bright colours to give a punch of colour to the room you want to brighten.

Slipcovers will allow for seasonal colour changes of the room, and even for mixing and matching the sofa with other furniture or accessories to better suit the decor of the room.

Window Treatments

Look Out Your Window

Window treatments can dramatically transform a room. A window positioned anywhere in a room provides a dramatic statement, a focal point, or may even provide an opportunity to bring the outdoors inside the room. If you like what's outside your window, you can actually bring some of the outdoor into your room. If your room overlooks a beautiful garden, then you can choose fabric that has emphasis on flowers or play with colours such as green and yellow. You have a lot of room to play with so don't limit yourself. Simply look out your window to get inspired! However, if you are only dreaming of owning a beautiful rose garden then why not make your dream come true indoors? Just choose romantic rose fabric and patterns and viola!

Heavy Rich-Coloured Fabrics VS Sheer Draperies

With window treatments, fabrics may be used in curtains and window valances. In order to provide a dramatic statement in a room via the window treatment, you can make use of two extreme types of fabrics, either heavy rich-coloured fabrics, or sheer draperies: or possibly a combination of both. Heavy rich-coloured fabrics make a dramatic statement with their strong colours and eye-catching patterns (like damasks, flower prints, stripes, etc.).

Sheer draperies, on the other hand, bring a light, sunny feeling to the room by letting in just enough sunlight, yet allowing for a light and flirty curtain solution. Used together, putting sheers behind the heavy fabric draperies, provides texture and colour contrast. The heavy fabric draperies may be opened in the morning with the use of trimmings and tassels, allowing for sunlight to come through the sheer draperies. To create a more formal feeling, some of the heavy fabric draperies may be incorporated into a window valance.

The Sitting Area

In rooms like the living room and the dining area, the sitting area comprises much of the space. This means that most of the design that can be incorporated into the room must come from the sitting area, if it is to make a visual impact.

For the living room, fabrics are the best solutions to provide either temporary or permanent overhauls for the sofa or couch.

Sofas that are badly stained or worn may be taken to a shop for re-upholstery. However, if it costs too much then it might be a wiser idea to invest in a brand new sofa. If you do decide on re-upholstery, choose a fabric that will blend in with various colour schemes, as re-upholstery is permanent so do give a thought to it.

For temporary punches of life, colour, or even design themes, slipcovers are the better choice. Slipcovers are available readymade in department stores, or you may have them custom-made especially for your sofa to assure a snug-fit. Slipcovers will allow for seasonal colour changes of the room, and even for mixing and matching the sofa with other furniture or accessories to better suit the decor of the room. This way you can change the look of your room often without spending too much.

MORE WAYS

TO USE FABRIC!

Here are more creative and cost effective ideas on how to use fabric to change the look of any rooms.

• Heavy pinch pleat draperies are so "passe". Use lighter rod pocket curtains to soften your windows. Make sure the curtains draw completely clear of the windows to let the most possible amount of light in. Hang the curtain rod near the ceiling line instead of right above the window so it adds height and dimension to"a room, making it look larger!

• Stitch up placemats, tablecloths, and runners to soften the hard furniture in the room. If you don't sew, you can use iron-on hem tape to make your creations.

• Use existing fabrics such as pretty quilts and unused sheets to create layered table covers. It adds instant romance to any room.

• Use cheap muslin to add natural and romantic statements in room. Twist and wrap yards of muslin around a curtain rod and let them drape to the floor for a wonderful organic window treatment. You can simply tie a knot in the end to finish.