Household textiles are commonly referred to as soft furnishings and include fabrics used anywhere in the home – it could be as draperies, curtains, rugs or carpeting or as upholstery fabrics used in creating sofas, cushioned chairs, throw pillows, or even padded headboards. Loosely speaking, soft furnishings could also include mundane items such as bath and dish towels, pillow covers, sheets, blankets, bed spreads, mattresses, quilts and comforters!

That having been said, it’s the curtains, rugs and furnishings that use upholstery material and contribute to the ambience and comfort of a home that are of interest to the interior designers. These soft furnishings are the features that make the interiors of your home beautiful and give it a character all its own. When mixed and matched together, these soft furnishings create an ambience that is at once pleasing and welcoming and at the same time comfortable and easy too.

With society getting more and more fussy and discerning about their home décor, it’s these same soft furnishings that play a crucial role in the interior decorator’s mind to suit the client’s needs. Interestingly, this terminology originated from the use of soft materials to add comfort to the drawing rooms and living rooms where you spend quiet a lot of time. Here, the term soft arises from the actual use of soft padding that includes foam, cloth and other soft materials that are used to design and create these furnishings.

When used in balance, these soft furnishings which also include rugs and curtains aside from the upholstery work and cushioning, create a magnificent mix of comfort and balm to the eyes, while adding style and substance to your home.

Since many people are very aware of the latest trends in soft furnishings, it’s easy to stay up-to-date without having to spend a fortune. With the current trend this year being soft gentle shades that calm the nerves and create peace and harmony within the rooms, it would be so easy to just re-upholster your sofa in beige shades and use pale blue throw pillows as an excellent combination of colors. Or if you like, you could always reverse the color combination. You could also make a grand statement by laying out light shades of soft colored wall-to-wall carpeting that match with the rest of the room’s furnishing.

Another option would be to change the color of your curtains for a whole new look to the room. Light colors add airiness as well as feelings of soothing calm to the inhabitants. Go for small, pale floral prints or self-prints, depending on your taste to change the mood in the room. Or if you are constrained financially but still want to be trendy in your soft furnishings, another short cut is to just change your throw pillows, tablecloths and lacy headrest and armrest covers into fashionable soft shades.

Beautifully matched soft furnishings in muted shades add to a room’s ambience and comforts, making you feel like sinking into its calming zone and stretch out like there was no tomorrow! However, that having been said, it’s always better to follow yours and family’s tastes in soft furnishings – after all, it’s only you who will have to live with it on a daily basis!