Q. I want a classy yet bold look, but I’m at a loss on how to pull it together. I’m planning on purchasing a Monroe sectional in Hondo spa, and I’m planning on painting the wall in my front room a bluish-gray. I really like blue! I’d like bold throw pillows. I may also want some wall art to tie it all in. How can I pull this off?

A. Great choice on the Hondo spa fabric, Janice, this is a beautiful modern fabric with a soft inviting look because of the fine corduroy-like texture. This particular shade is sophisticated and classy, so you’re on the right track! Here’s a photo, from our studio, of the Levi style in Hondo spa.

Levi Sofa in Hondo Spa

Jen and I suggest you create a color scheme that ranges from blues, to greens, to browns. If you haven’t painted your wall yet, you may consider choosing a brown/gray over a blue/gray tone as this may be a stronger compliment to the Hondo spa fabric, and it will accentuate the color that you like so much. Notice how the brown tones in this paint swatch compliment the blues tones.

Paint Swatches from Porter Paints

Here is a group of fabrics that can be mixed and matched between furniture, throw pillows, and wall art to create that classy look you’re going for. Don’t be afraid to add a punch of green to the room, in plants, candles, or throw blankets, for a fresh clean look.

Q. We are fixing up a 13′x15′ bedroom for our 18 year old son as a living area. He will take all the furnishings with him when he goes to college in the fall. The carpet in the room is light beige, and we are painting the walls a soft tan. He has a red corduroy bean bag and some black & white art work of Italy. We want the room to be fun, comfortable, relaxing, and durable. . .  What suggestions do you have for the sitting area? What colors would work? Thanks for the help.

A. Sounds like a fun project Carol, and you have a nice neutral base with your tan walls and light carpet. The room is big enough for a sectional, perhaps in group 3 with an ottoman, as shown here. You could position the sectional with the long side against the long wall.

A sectional would be a great option for your son because it has nice proportion for the 13′x15′ room while he is still at home. Once he goes off to college, if he is living in a smaller space, he can remove armless seats to adjust the sectional to the room.

With the red bean bag and the black and white wall art, your son has an amazing color foundation. It just so happens that red, black, and white is a universally pleasing color combo with a masculine quality. Writer, Chris Casson Madden, decorates his office in red, black, and white and describes the experience in this article in the San Diego Union Tribune. Take a look at the way red, black, and white are used in advertising, and product design.

Jen and I suggest that you maximize on this color scheme by choosing a black fabric for your furniture. Mission Black, the brushed, faux leather fabric would be a great textural compliment to the red bean bag. Add some red throw pillows in the mix, maybe even a few in soft tan (these will serve as a variation on white), and you’ve got a polished designer look  . . . fun, comfortable, relaxing, and durable!

Q. Happy Holidays y’all. So, I really like the price of your liberty fabrics, and I’ve always liked fabric with texture, but, I’m not really up with what’s cool for a sofa these days (as my daughter will tell you). I’d really like to pull off a “with it” look, will the liberty fabrics look modern in my house?

A. Good question, Sofia, I think we all know that, at times, there is a discrepancy between great price and a hip look. However, you’re right on track with the liberty fabrics. Rich subtle textures like this are much cooler these days then chunky, deep textures, and the subtle tones in all of the liberty fabrics are a great backdrop for throw pillows. Plus, throw pillows are easy to change with the seasons to keep your look current. Here’s a Levi Chair and 1/2 in the ever beautiful Liberty Sand fabric. The electric blue accents make this look even more modern. . . talk about a great price and fashion forward fabric.

Q. I just recently moved my big sofa into another room and now I’m left with a big solid blue chair and a dark green leather chair in my den. I need a loveseat to help fill the space, but I don’t know whether to get something with blue or green in the fabric. The carpet has a swirl design with some greenish blue and beige in it. Do any of your fabrics have a combination of these colors? Thanks for your help.

A. Thanks for visiting Home Reserve Roberta, Jen and I have a few ideas we’re excited to share with you. You could use any of the following “Liberty” fabrics for your loveseat. Not only are these fabrics richly textured; their multi-colored threads make them color friendly in a lot of environments. Plus, they are among Home Reserve’s most affordable fabric options.

 1  2  3  

1) Liberty olive contains green and blue threads and has an overall green appearance.

2) Liberty indigo contains green and blue thread and has an overall blue appearance.

2) Liberty tobacco contains blue, green, gold, and burgundy threads with an overall warm, tan appearance. This could be a nice compliment to the two chairs in your room and you could unify the colors by putting Liberty tobacco throw pillows on your chairs.

Enjoy decorating, and remember you can order fabric samples and try these colors out in your den. Just contact Sandy in Customer Service.

260-969-6939 ext 1, Sandy@Homereserve.com

Q. Dear Amazing Designers at Home Reserve, I just found your website while desperately searching for a new set of furniture for our apartment! Praise the Lord for your company! I STILL can’t believe I found your website and that it offers SO MANY possibilities for my living room!

I’m in need of some professional guidance about which type to choose: Monroe couch and loveseat set, or a sectional (one side will line the wall of my living room and one side would close in the living room). We have a small apartment. We have an arm chair that rocks that will sit in with the sectional. Basically, I’m trying to think ahead for when we move into a house in another year or so. I like the idea of always being able to buy additional armless sections so I can fit more people when we have a larger living room. But, will a sectional work if I also want to add a few separate furniture pieces like a Chair and 1/2?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for all the cool videos you’ve put up on your website and You Tube! They helped me a lot!

A. We’re so glad you found Home Reserve, Aimee, your excitement is an encouragement to us! In your situation, Casey and I think that you may be happier with a sectional because of the flexibility it affords. While you are in your small apartment, you may want to do a sofa/loveseat combination, like you see in Group 3 (We recommend including an ottoman as it really makes that corner seat an inviting spot to stretch out.

Like you said, you will always have the option of adding more armless units and making your sectional bigger, once you’re in a new place. Starting out with a sectional, rather than a sofa and loveseat, may suit you better because sectionals are more modern and have a hip current look. (We thought you sounded like you had a good head for style!)

About the Chair and 1/2 . . . usually furniture looks best in groups of 3’s, which means a sofa and loveseat would look best with either a Chair and 1/2, or your rocking arm chair. Same goes for a sectional which counts for two pieces of furniture. If you want to incorporate both the chair and 1/2 and your rocker, perhaps you could create another sitting corner, by a window, apart from you main seating area. This is a way to add more pieces and not look cluttered.

Thanks for watching our videos, we appreciate the feedback.

Q. I just moved into a new house and I think I’m ready to buy new furniture. The problem is, I have a completely blank slate, white walls, white trim, tan carpet . . . I can do pretty much anything I want, but I haven’t the faintest where to start. Can you give me any pointers?

A. Lori, congratulations on your new place. What could be more exciting than a blank slate! Jen and I often take inspiration from photos. We suggest you look through a few magazines (and our
Photo Gallery of course!), and see what strikes your fancy. Collect, or print, about three images that you like, and see if you can find some commonalities. For example, do they all contain green? stripes? woodwork? artsy pillows? Identify what you’re drawn to, and . . . Go!

Here is a recent image from a “CB2″ magazine that inspired us to use a similar color scheme in this photo of a Home Reserve Tux Chair and 1/2. The fabrics here are Jaguar Persimmon (orange), and Ella Citrus (pillows).

Q. Hi, I would like to order a Laney sectional in grouping #13, it will fit well in my family room, but I have a question about the color. Here’s the deal, the walls are painted pale blue and a red brick fireplace takes up most of one wall. The area rug is blue, burgundy, tan and green. I have an old worn denim blue sectional, but I’m sick of blue and I want to get the Laney sectional in the Altima pet-care Thyme color ( I have two hairy dogs). Is this fabric choice okay with all the colors going on in the room?

Laney Sectional Group #13, Altima Thyme

A. You have a nice color foundation in your room, Donna and a fireplace to top it off! Good choice on the Laney sectional. This style has a simple elegance, and grouping #13 lends peaceful symmetry to a room. You’ve made a wise choice with the Altima Thyme fabric as well. Not only will the dogs be grateful, the green tone will pick up the green shades in your area rug, and your decor scheme will thank you too.

The family room colors you described are sketched out above. I would recommend accenting with throw pillows that pick up another color in the room to pull it all together. Choose Burgundy or blue. Here are some burgundy accents that would compliment your color scheme:

And some blue accents:

Q. Hello, I was just wondering if you change and update your fabrics? I really love the fabrics you have, but I am looking for a purple color with a design. Will you have something like this anytime soon?

A. You’re right on target for popular colors these days, Jillian, with your request for a dark purple. Yes, we update our fabrics regularly and are always on the lookout for new patterns. In fact, we’ve just added “Pawleys Plum” to our collection. This is a microfiber fabric with a dark purple base and a beautiful, paisley inspired pattern. Pawleys plum makes a great accent as a throw pillow, or a bold statement on a sofa or sectional. This fabric will be available soon!

Q. Hello, I just found the Home Reserve site and am quite impressed. We are moving into an apartment in a few months and your prices are great. The opportunity to change our fabric covers will be great too. I am wondering, is it possible to get extra fabric so I can make covers for my kitchen chairs? I would like to bring my design ideas throughout the different rooms that will be in view.

A. Hi Devona, we appreciate your kind feedback! The size and design of our furniture makes it a great fit for apartment living. Yes, we do offer our fabrics by the yard, this is an order that can be placed over the phone. You may call Sandy (260-969-6939) or e-mail Sandy@Homereserve.com to inquire.  By the way Devona, that’s a great idea to continue some fabric throughout rooms, makes for great continuity and atmosphere!

Enjoy decorating.

Q. Hi Casey and Jenny,

Just want to say I love your site and ideas, keep up the good work! I am in love with your over-sized chairs and was looking for a two-color, striped pattern. Will you be getting a fabric like this any time soon? Also, I have seen this new “right-hand chaise” look for chairs. Can you preview this look with a right or left hand sectional and an ottoman? I would love to see it.

A. Thanks for the encouraging words Elmeisha, sounds like you have an eye for modern style. We don’t offer striped fabrics on our furniture because of the nature of our fabric-cutting processes. Instead, we try to incorporate “stripey” style by using striped throw pillows. Stripes are available on all our throw pillow sizes, and on the jazz style sofa. Here’s a look a the Tremont chocolate pattern on a Jazz sofa.

We’re glad you asked about the right-hand chaise look, this is a fun creative look! Here’s a photo of a right-hand sectional unit, in the Laney style, with a side panel, and ottoman.