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How to Use Trimmings in Your Interior Design

17th January 2022

A small yet mighty design feature within a scheme, adding fabric trimmings can transform a room from the ordinary into the extraordinary! Suitable to use all across your home, in this style guide we explain the different types of trimmings and where you can use them. Illustrated through beautiful imagery featuring the very best braids, fringes, cords and tiebacks, we hope to inspire you to add trimmings to your next interior design project…

Why Feature Trimmings in Your Home?

Trimmings will become your best friend if you are looking to individualise your home. By featuring them in the right spaces and by choosing the right colourways, you can use them to enhance the existing textiles that you have in your home. A powerful design tool that are all too often added as an afterthought, we advise you to introduce your favourite trimmings early on, to maximise their influence and make the most of what they have to offer.

1. Complementary vs Contrast

Considering your colours carefully will make sure that you achieve the interior style you are hoping for as they can completely transform the look of a room. By choosing trimmings to match your fabrics, they will help to enrich the scheme by adding another dimension and texture. This is often seen in neutral interiors and is very effective when featuring a single colourway throughout your room.

At the other end of the spectrum, trimmings can work to make your colours pop! A colour contrast will draw your eye to the trim or braid, making it more of a design feature within the room. This is a great option if you are looking to showcase a particular piece of furniture, or fancy introducing a vibrant colour into your scheme but in moderation.

2. Tying a Scheme Together

A fabulous example of how trimmings have an almighty ability to unite, however small or subtle they may be, this stylish living room scheme by Kit Kemp features contrast piping on both the sofa and chair to expand the red and blue colour scheme to additional surfaces within the room.

Geometric braid on the curtains also features some blue, but it also cleverly mimics the decorative picture frames on the wall, therefore linking them into the room. This vertical braid also adds a simple, yet very effective frame to the windows. It helps to draw the eye and showcases them as a particularly beautiful feature within the room.

Fabric Trimming Ideas Fabric Trimming Ideas

3. Pattern and Texture Transformation

We love to feature trimmings in our interior designs because of their ability to instantly alter a look. By adding a patterned braid or fan edging to a curtain, you will elevate a plain fabric into a decorative feature, transforming it in something that deserves your attention.

Tangible elements like tassels and fringes not only work to introduce movement and texture into a scheme, they can also be used to disguise unloved features such as sofa legs. Without them, furnishings will look good but with them, they will look outstanding, so ensure you order samples of your favourites so you can see just how good they would look in your home.

Different Types of Trimmings:

Gimps & Braids

Flat decorative trimmings used to embellish the edges of soft furnishings. They offer the perfect finishing touches to curtains, roman blinds, cushions and furniture.

Cords

Decorative upholstery piping used to accentuate the edges of cushions and furniture. Cords include simple, colourful fabric ropes, luxurious beading and chic leather piping.

Fringes & Tassels

Ideal for adding decorative detail to fabric edges, fringes and tassels come in a variety of colours and styles including, pom-pom, drop bead, tassel, ruffle and fan edging.

Where to Feature Trimmings in Your Home...

Curtains and Blinds:

Decorative braids are a popular trimming to add to your window dressings. Placed vertically down a curtain edge or roller blind, they can actually trick the eye into elongating the window and making the room feel higher in proportion than it actually is. Smart and tailored, it offers a clear edge to your fabrics and with such a wide range of colour and pattern, they can be a great decorative feature that would suit a variety of different interior styles.

If you are looking for something a little more subtle, decorative fringing and tassels look lovely when added to the edge of a curtain. For a more traditional look, choose a drop bead, ruffle or fan edge trim in a complementary colour to your curtain fabric, and use a tieback for an elegant drape to maximise the decorative impact.

If you interior is more modern, or you are designing a playful children’s room, pom pom fringe is a very popular option to finish your curtains and blinds. Adding movement and texture to the edge of your window dressings, they come in a variety of sizes to suit any project and look great in both complementary or contrasting colours.

For rooms that feature curtain pelmets, opt for a contrasting cord piping to really accentuate its shape. Use it to trace its form and continue it down onto the curtain for maximum designer impact.

 Heaboards:

Contrast piping or decorative fringing can really transform your headboard into a bespoke feature in your home. Adding texture and character to your interiors, they can completely change the look and feel of a fabric. This traditional Santiago Fabric has be bought up to date by adding a simple pom-pom edge to create a fun and modern look. Alternatively, a subtle but effective design trick is to match the colour of your piping to your scatter cushions or bedside lampshade to help tie a scheme together. 

Cushions:

Decorative braids, textured fringing and contrasting cords all look great on cushions, plus they offer a smaller surface area to feature just a little of your favourite trim. Injecting subtle doses of pattern and luxurious textures that are kept in reach, it is these small design details that can go a long way and will work to really elevate your interior scheme.

Lampshades:

A great design detail to finish off your lampshade neatly, trimmings can be attached to cover the fabric edging of your made to measure shade. Commonly used to add decoration to a plain fabric shade, lampshades provide a cost effective way to showcase your favourite designs.

Choose colours to complement the fabric of your shade or lamp base and look to beaded fringe or intricate gimp for a more traditional feel. Alternatively, coloured braids, playful tassels and extra-long fringing can transform your lighting into a fun and modern centrepiece within your room that will double up as a design feature that is completely unique to your home.

Furniture:

Adding trimmings to your furniture will help to tie these standalone pieces into the rest of your scheme. Whether it be through pattern or colour, trimmings can establish a connection between multiple items that appear within a single scheme.

Look to your lampshades, curtains and cushions to see how you can link them to your sofas, chairs and footstools. Featuring the same braid across two pieces, or enhancing a statement fabric with a complementary trim; the possibilities are endless and the results are dramatic so have fun and experiment with samples until you find the perfect pairing!

Tablecloths:

Transforming your dining table may not be what immediately comes to mind when exploring fabric trimmings, but just look at what the simple addition of a patterned braid or complementary tassel fringe does to a plain table cloth. Adding structure and weight to the fabric, it encourages a more elegant drape, plus the choice of trim can help reinforce your chosen colour scheme. Also popular when creating fabric placemats or decorative napkin rings, they can help you to compose a dining table bursting with character and charm.

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Chevallerie Gimp Lampshade, Le Soir Ikat Braid Lampshade and Rouen Tassel Fringe Tablecloth images all credited to Samuel and Sons