Reader Question- Buying Fabric

We have started getting questions from readers which we love and periodically we will be sharing these here on the site.  Leanna had a great question that we wanted to share:

I am planning on redesigning my living room in the next few months from the ground up. Including new hardwood floor, all new furniture, paint, and fabrics. I want to know if there is some place you would recommend for buying fabric. I plan to use at least 4 different designs for pillows, window treatments, cushions, etc. Where can I look online or in store for a large selection of modern fabrics that I can coordinate? Thanks!!

Leanna this is a great question and you know how much we love redesigning around here.  I have to say that I'm not an avid sewer, but I do love fabric and planning a color palette so I have a couple places I think will help you out.

1. Amy Butler- This is the first fabric designer that I thought of as she has great designs printed on quality fabric.  You can see all of her current selection online and visit her list of retailers here- she has quite a few that are online.


2. Hancock's of Padacuh


3. Hancock Fabrics


4. Fabric Guru


5. Etsy- This is a great resource for small amounts of fabric.  *Sometimes you can find a seller that has larger amounts*, but I usually use these fabrics for accent pieces.  These would be a great resource for your pillows, or accent pieces.

As for coordinating the fabrics, I recommend starting with your color palette, along with your foundational piece (i.e. sofa or hardwood floor, in this instance).  As you start to look at fabrics online, save the images of prints, patterns & solids that work with the palette & foundational piece you have chosen.  Make sure you keep track of where you found the fabric as you go so you don't have a bunch of swatches saved and can't remember where you found them.  Once you have quite a few swatches picked out (7-10), open a few at a time in a picture viewer and see how they coordinate with each other and your foundational piece.  Eliminate ones that don't work until you have it narrowed down to 4 that you are happy with.

Above is an example of how to coordinate your fabrics.  I started with my color palette of green, blue, grey and yellow, along with the charcoal sofa and this is what I found:

Here's where I found the goods:

1. Amy Butler- Silver Daisy Chain


2. Fabric Guru


3. Hancock's of Padacuh- P Kaufman fabric


4. Amy Butler- Solids

I used this sofa as a foundation inspiration piece to help me pull everything together.  I hope this helps & happy redesigning Leanna.  Let us know how it turns out!

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