Sofa Revival – Home Staging Tip of the Week.

For simple restyling – scatter cushions rule!

I was asked to upgrade the Kensington rental flat featured here. The property had good quality but tired furniture, especially the sofa which was looking so out of shape the owner felt they would have to replace it, but I love a challenge and I knew that with some TLC the sofa could be salvaged.   I managed to revive the existing piece with just a good plumping of seat pads, plus new scatter cushions and throws from mix of Ikea, TK Maxx and Primark. Sorted on a very small budget. The geometric patterns and mix of textures added a complete new look and brought the sofa from sad sack to elegant addition.

The theory of working with 3’s applies to many styling tricks, but especially when it comes to mixing it up and creating an interesting, colourful or textural arrangement.  Here i’ve used a mix of velvet, wool and chenille for texture, one pattern, one dark and one light grey, plus there are three slightly different sizes of cushion.  Although this may seem like there is a lot going on it works to make the sofa looked thoughtfully yet casually styled,  all the tones merge together and are balanced.   I don’t recommend using too many patterns as this will end up looking just too busy.

When sourcing on a budget look for good quality textures, such as a heavy weave or a more matt finish to the fabric.  Shinier fabrics such as silk, unless good quality tend to look less expensive.  Also stick to selecting fabrics within the same tonal range for a least two of your colour choices, with maybe one pop of colour or bold texture to add interest.

Alex Evans

You May Also Enjoy

bank of england interest rate
Breaking News

Bank of England’s rate hold

The Bank of England has held interest rates at 3.75% for the sixth consecutive time. Matt Smith, Rightmove’s mortgage expert, says: “The Bank of England’s decision to hold the base rate will come as welcome news to mortgage borrowers, particularly those on tracker mortgages whose monthly repayments move in line with changes to the base…
Read More
yopa sales 2017
Breaking News

54,000 properties hit market during back to school rush

Over 50,000 homes have hit the market since the nation’s schools returned following the summer holidays, with the level of property for sale climbing by as much as 35% across some areas of England, according to the latest research by Yopa. The full-service estate agency analysed the number of homes listed for sale across each…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

69% of homebuyers would compromise on their property

New research from UK Property Development reveals that 69% of recent UK homebuyers would be willing to compromise on the property itself to live in a better location, while 65% say they would pay more for a home if the location was right. The findings, from a survey of 1,016 recent UK homebuyers*, highlight the…
Read More
Breaking News

The UK towns boasting +80% house price growth amid nationwide drop

For the first time since 2023, UK house prices have dropped. However, many areas are bucking the recent news, with strong growth overall in the last 5 and 10 years. The cash house buyers and property experts at Sell House Fast have compiled ‘The Property Prosperity Index’, revealing the best places to buy and sell property…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

London remains destination of choice for international property wealth

The latest research from London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that London accounts for 43% of all property titles owned by overseas companies across England and Wales, highlighting the capital’s enduring appeal as an international property investment destination. Benham and Reeves analysed the latest Land Registry Overseas Companies Ownership Data to…
Read More
to let sign 2025
Breaking News

First drop in rental supply in three years pushes rents higher

Rental growth set to accelerate to 4–5 per cent by the end of 2026 as higher mortgage rates keep would-be buyers renting for longer, reducing rental supply UK rents are 2.6 per cent higher in the 12 months to July 2026, up from 1.6 per cent in February and are on track to reach 4-5…
Read More