Custom touches that enhance what you already have can add a little character to your home. This approach lets you further personalize these pieces and separate them from the rest. Some positive comments I recently received about furniture and accessories that are special to me echoed the sentiment when they had a similar effect on others.
Several guests pointed out the pillows with a typewriter-key motif that were in storage until now. As with most items in our home, these custom pieces have a story to go along with them. An artist made them for me with some inexpensive fabric I found years ago. She added black faux leather to the backs, so she could stretch the yardage to make four pillows. They embellish our sectional, where their graphic pattern adds some contrast to the neutral sofa.
The same person also made the pillows that are propped on another sofa from my stepfather’s favorite wool sweater that featured a black-and-white sheep pattern. These sentimental pieces seem to be popular with the rescue dogs that occasionally stay at our home, who like to sleep on them.
A friend recently realized she once had the same chair we keep within reach for extra seating when needed. It brought back memories from when her son was younger. But she also noticed that mine had some customization. The same person who made the pillows redid the original seat cushion – that had become worn – in a faux leather crocodile pattern that adds a personal touch.
When another artist friend gave me some vintage frames that he did not think were special, I could see their potential and had one made into a mirror, while the other became a corkboard. These pieces with a purpose remain prominently displayed in our home after more than 20 years. For added flexibility, they were wired to hang vertically or horizontally.
Other custom touches include the kitschy postcards from our Lake Michigan vacations that were later framed in a series displayed in our kitchen. These colorful images have more impact when shown as a whole. They also provide a look back at some great destinations.
The sectional I inherited from my mom when she replaced it more than 30 years ago has received some attention from guests lately. This unique piece, which has been reupholstered several times, has lived many lives in our current home and in its previous locations.
People also have been drawn to the furniture that came from our former neighbor and dear friend, whom I had painted black for an easy update that better fits my aesthetic. In addition, we inherited some accent pieces from her that had already been painted black. These simple updates made them unrecognizable from their original, more traditional finish.
Whether you purchase new pieces, inherit heirlooms from your loved ones or discover secondhand finds, custom touches do not have to be costly. When you personalize these items to suit your rooms, you can enjoy them for years to come and update them again as needed.
Jeanine Matlow is a Metro Detroit interior decorator turned freelance writer specializing in stories about interior design. You can reach her at jeaninematlow@earthlink.net.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Smart Solutions shows simple ways to add custom character to your home
Reporting by Jeanine Matlow, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jeanine Matlow, Special to The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
