it's no secret.

anyone who knows me know i LOVE a little shop named furbish studio housed in raleigh, nc. owned and operated by two lady phonemes, their esthetic is everything i dream of brought to life. in need of inspiration? head over to jamie meares (owner) pinterest and swoon as i do. 

i just love to mix and match. i liken the theory to how i feel about my favorite cole hahn bag-it's orange and sadly, it was stolen...i digress. anyway, the theory goes, it matches nothing and goes with everything. this is how i feel about home design-if nothing 'goes together' then it all 'goes together'. just look at some of jamie's designs-one would never think to put these bold and daring textiles together, yet she does, and it works. it. werks. 

and now, some practical advice: how to style a sofa-compliments of miss meares.

1. start with a classic, tailored shape sofa.

2. add a textile to change the look of your couch. simply drape your textile over the back of the couch or tuck it in to the cushions. jamie suggests trying suzanis, rugs, embroidered textiles, quilts, tapestries, throws, scarves, or fabric scraps.

3. add your pillows. most 3 seater sofas can handle 6 pillows, but more than that isn’t really practical. jamie recommends using down or down/blend inserts. this way you can lean back against the pillows and sink in without bothering to remove them every time you sit. if you do need to take pillows off, keep a basket nearby to hold overflow.

4. jamie suggests starting with a pair of 22″ or 20″ square pillows on the outside, and adding a different-shaped single pillow in the middle. some of her favorites are: a lumbar, a neckroll or bolster pillow, a round pillow, or a boxed rectangle.

5. now it’s time to add a second set of square pillows, slightly smaller in size (18″ or 20″). you can use two matching pillows, or choose two different ones. jamie suggests finding one multi-color print that anchors your design, and then pulling in colors from the anchor fabric to accent (in this case, the throw blanket is the anchor).

jamie is a master at mixing prints and has a few simple rules that she follows:when combining prints, use a floral, geometric, and striped pattern. also, be sure to mix scales — including one large scale print and one of a smaller scale.

she recommends that at least one pair of pillows match exactly. another pair can be different, as long as the scale of their pattern is the same. for example, if you have a large geometric print on one side, balance it out with another geometric that is similar in size (seen here with the ikat and chevron patterns). jamie encourages adding in one global textile to your look, like a suzani, an ikat pillow, or a navajo/tribal inspired pillow. this makes the design feel authentic and more collected.

i'll take three...

HAPPY TUESDAY!

and head here to pick-up all your fabulous furbish goods.