Soft sheer shades offset a variety of fabrics used in home decorating

In the movie The Hours, the headboard in the main character's bedroom was a beautiful paisley cloth draped over a wooden base.

While that simple, but elegant touch was probably straight out of a set designer's bag of tricks, there's no reason such simple ways of using fabric can't be incorporated into the average family home.

An upholstered headboard is an ideal way to use a fabric that can become a focal point of a bedroom, but in a tailored way that dovetails with wood furniture next to it. "If you're going to create a DIY upholstered headboard, choose a solid fabric," designer Emily Henderson told HGTV.com. "It's a lot easier than making sure the pattern is perfectly straight."

When a home decorator is investing in high-quality upholstery fabric, they mean to get a lot of bang for their bucks, and that means choosing material that will stand the test of time.

Henderson recommends using neutrals for major upholstery projects, and bringing in color with pillows in a variety of patterns and textures that can be changed periodically.


As a window treatment, soft sheer shades have a sophisticated look that offsets a variety of fabrics. They also allow filtered light to enter a room, while maintaining visibility of the outside.