Episode 004 1995 - 96 Season

| Fireplace Installation | Steel Framing | Cutting Board | Fabrics | Entry Doors | Lawn Sprinkler Repair | How Do I Qualify? | |

To order a Video Tape, call 1-800-TO-BUILD and ask for Episode #004.


Decorating And Design - Fabrics And Colors

Michael Holigan : Today we've got a specialist with us to help us out on fabrics and how they affect the look, the feel and the size of a room. We've got an interior designer from Gabberts, Larry Grusendorf. Good to have you here Larry.

Larry Grusendorf: Nice to be here, thank you.

M.H.: Hey, tell me about this room and the fabrics and how they play in the room.

L.G.: The fabrics play in this room in an interesting way because the sofa becomes larger because of the scale and proportion of the fabric. The other two chairs that you see in the room are solid in fabric and consequently they don't appear as large.

M.H.: I really like this room. This is the type colors I like and the feel that I like, but what if you wanted a brighter feel to it? What could you do with the fabrics?

L.G.: Let me show you an example. If for instance we chose this beautiful damask, green damask and chose to upholster the sofa in this, it would tone down the sofa and emphasize the pillows.

M.H.: Would the sofa feel smaller at that time or larger with making the switch to this?

L.G.: It actually feels smaller?

M.H.: Why?

L.G.: Because it is actually less patterned. In conjunction with that, if we wanted to brighten it up, we could change the floral and that fabric could actually be lighter in background and it would make the room feel brighter and lighter. We would add several other patterns across the room. This being on the chair that is across the room in plaid and this being in the leather chair and these would help migrate those colors again as well. I also have some floor coverings. I've chosen three here that will give us a solid look on the floor, instead of pattern.

M.H.: What will that do to the feel of the room as far as size?

L.G.: This is one of those little secrets that a lot of people don't know. If you have an area rug in a room, it actually almost sets up a parameter for the walls and scales down a room. But if you have a solid area rug, something like this, it actually gives it more room to breathe and the room appears larger.

M.H.: Well Larry, you've covered a lot of new information for us. Can you recap it one more time on what we need to be looking for and what we need to think about when choosing fabrics?

L.G.: Let the piece that you're interested in, or you're working with, determine its scale and proportion of the fabric. If you have a large piece, you want to make it smaller, then choose solid colors or solid fabrics. If you'd like to make a piece larger, more proportion in a room, then think about pattern and scale of the fabric.

Episode 004 1995 - 96 Season

| Fireplace Installation | Steel Framing | Cutting Board | Fabrics | Entry Doors | Lawn Sprinkler Repair | How Do I Qualify? | |

To order a Video Tape, call 1-800-TO-BUILD and ask for Episode #004.