decorating dilemma | which comes first?

by | Nov 6, 2015 | All Things Home, Decorating, decorating dilemmas | 17 comments

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A few weeks ago, I received a question from Jan and figured I would answer it in a post.  Especially since I’ve learned a lot about this over the past few years.

“I have a question….picture me waving my hand in the air…..oh oh Miss Marian!!!!

Do you pick your wall color or fabric first?  My walls need to be a shade of green because I am doing a restoration and the original wall color was green.  I found some fabric I like and have ordered samples.  But then what about rugs.  Maybe I should buy my rugs first?  But then I really love these fabric samples.

What is the order that you use to buy these big ticket items?”

So, which comes first?

Well, I’m going to give a totally non-answer answer and say that it really depends.  I don’t think you can say you always start with the paint color or always with the fabric or always with the rug.  It depends.

I think you start with a jumping-off point.  And that jumping off point has to be something you really love and can design an entire room around.

It can be a rug, fabric, piece of furniture, anything really.

As it is in Jan’s case, the starting point might be chosen for you by default, because of the style of the house or something that’s existing that you can’t (or don’t want to) change.

Like the manor house we photographed last week…that woodwork sets an immediate vibe that the rest of the decor needs to follow.

Now, if you’re super good and can walk the tightrope of juxtaposition, you can make contrasting styles work, but I think it takes a lot of finesse to pull that off.

Now that I’ve given my non-answer answer, I’ll get a little more specific.

I have learned over the years that it’s a good idea to choose your fabric first.  Fabric can set the color palette and style of the room, so it’s an important choice.  It also can be very tricky to match a fabric to a paint color, as I’ve learned, but it’s very easy to match a paint color to a fabric.

The Sailrite fabrics for my mom’s room makeover arrived last week, so I rolled them out today to find some wall color candidates and review the milk paint options for the furniture.   (The floral fabric is Adelaide Mist by P/Kaufmann and the check is Covington Reagan Burnished Bronze Buffalo Check.)

Putting together a “live mood board” like this helps me envision the final room a little better and double-check my initial choices.

I also selected the rug based on the fabric…

It’s the Petite Diamond rug in Wheat from Dash & Albert.

There are times when you can luck out with fabrics, though.  I bought the fabric for my living room pillows after I had the checked fabric and the blue hutch.  The colors aren’t an exact match, but they work well together.

To get even more specific, I’ll share some tips for coordinating a room…

  • As I said in the beginning, start with one thing that you really love.
  • If that starting point isn’t a fabric, choose your primary fabric next.
  • Take your time looking online and through fabric books.  You might not find a good match in the store and it’s worth the wait to order the right fabric.

  • Get a few test pots from the paint store to paint test swatches on your wall.  It’s so hard to pick a color from a paint chip and just because the color looks good in someone else’s room does not mean it will look good in yours.
  • If something isn’t 100% working for you, don’t move forward with it.  If you’re like me, you just want the room done yesterday, but you’ll be happier with the end result if you take the time to get it right.

Remember that decorating is an art, not a science.  There really isn’t a right or a wrong, just what’s right for you and your family.

So, there’s no pressure!

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    17 Comments

    1. Toni

      Now where I get stuck is that I’d never pair the check with the floral, but you did and of course I love it. Can you tell us more about that? Why it works? or how to reach outside your comfort zone to do that?

    2. JoanMarie

      Your advice to start with what you love is invaluable. To try to duplicate a specific look can be tricky and most times the end result can be disappointing. Your eye and heart were drawn to a rug, fabric or a paint color (sample pots are a blessing as what looks good in the morning light can look muddy or “off” in the late afternoon) and designing around that a step at a time will ensure you smile each time you walk into the room.

    3. Nancy @ Slightly Coastal

      I always start with the mood of the room…do I want it to be soothing or vibrant. That doesn’t always mean color. If I’m going more soothing I start with the soft furnishings (rug, fabric, sofa) and build within the color family with textures. If I’m using more contrasting colors for a vibrant look I start with the paint color and then consult my color wheel to guide me for dominant colors in soft furnishings. But I do agree…if you see something you love…take the leap.

    4. Joanne B.

      Just wanted to comment on the Sailrite.com website where you said you got the fabric featured here for your Mom’s bedroom. I recently found some fabric I fell in love with at Joann Fabrics and a project just HAD to be created so I could use it! I decided I wanted to make working roman shades for my master bathroom. I looked online and came across a great video tutorial on Sailrite’s website. It was such a great tutorial which shows and explains the steps one by one. My roman shades came out so great looking I decided to make 2 more shades for my master bedroom too. So, in addition to a great source of fabrics, check out their video tutorials on shades, window treatments and upholstery projects. Bonus is they have all the doo-dads you need as well and shipping was fast!

    5. Mary

      I just made drapes out of the same floral fabric you’re using in your mom’s room. Thanks for finding the buffalo check that works with it so well. I love it when my work is done for me. Ha!

    6. Karen Baumgardner

      I love your blog and look forward to all the posts. I agree with all your advice today; however, I’d like to add one point. Leaving the rug for last can be a budget buster. I always consider at least looking at rugs before I start choosing/actually ordering anything else. If you are forced to choose a rug due to the best match, it may be tough to find one that fits your budget. Rugs can typically cost several thousand dollars, second only to furniture pieces. I know from experience – yes, I admit making this “oops” – it can also make the search for that perfect rug a very, very long one! Usually people are drawn to the same design that is repeated over and over in some form – if you save photos of things you love for that room they will mostly have common looks. So just consider all the things you need to buy before making the final plunge.

    7. Lalagigi

      I have a collection of antique oriental rugs – one in every room. Naturally, those are always my starting point, since they usually have several colors in them. I never attempt to make an exact match to anything. Close enough works every time and prevents that ‘matchy’ look. Every room is always balanced with something white and something black.

    8. Sharon Hoham

      BTW, I keep forgetting to comment on your hair in this picture above. LOVE it!

    9. mary m young

      I just bought some green large check drapes from Country Curtains and some fat stripe stripes on sale from there to make pillow shams for the bed. Never thought of putting a floral together with the checks. Thanks.

      Also at Montechelo, (sp?) Thomas Jefferson’s home in Virginia has red buffalo check on the
      dining room chairs. It was considered a formal print back in the day. Imagine that!

    10. Sharon Bates

      I love the floral fabric and the check pattern too. I can wait to see what colors you all pick to use on the walls, etc!

    11. Jan

      Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I think I’m going to go with the fabric I love and pick a green that matches or compliments the green in the fabric. If I matched the green that I discovered under layers of paint, it might not be a green that goes with today’s decor.

      I have about 5 antique rugs for my other rooms so maybe I will just go with a white rug that has some texture and will match the white trim. Unfortunately it has to be a large rug like 12×10 or larger.

      BTW love the new photo with the new do.

    12. Laurie

      This is very interesting advice! Now can you explain which fabric is the primary one? Is it the one that takes up the most square inches of space, the one that is busiest or brightest, or is it horizontal or vertical??? 🙂

    13. Karolina

      Great advice. The best place to start when planning a colour scheme is with a piece that inspires you. However, we do recommend that our customers pick their paint colour last. Not only are there thousands of shades to choose from, most paint stores will be able to tint a custom shade to perfectly compliment a piece of fabric or other design element.

    14. Beatrice Agnew

      Great advice Marion. I am in interior designer and my first love is fabric. The fabric can be the inspiration for the paint colour as you can pull a colour from it. Love the blog. xxx Beatrice

    15. Ruth

      I’m the odd one in this discussion. I find the wall color I like first since it is the largest surface area. If I don’t love my walls I won’t like the decor. Then I find the fabric: curtain, pillows, rug, etc. Sometimes it is not an easy task but it always seems to work out.

    16. Naomi S.

      Very useful post, Marian. Your decorating ideas always provide fodder for me to chew on. (Is that analogy correct?!)

      I also have been wanting to tell you how lovely your new blog photograph is. It really expresses your vitality and enthusiasm.

    17. MaryLisa Noyes

      Thanks for sharing the site where you found the fabric. It is great advice to find the item in a room that inspires the color and decorating style the area will reflect.

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