Thursday, August 21, 2008

Click here to watch the video story of Designing with Jessica.

Take a seat and think about this.  An old couch may not have to head to the trash, just its pillows.  "Pillows are something you can change and it changes the whole look of the room, the feel, the aesthetic," said Ruel Joyner, owner of 24e in Downtown Savannah.  The store on Broughton Street has sofas in tip top shape and sofas that are "distressed" or look like they've been broken in by a family of five.  No matter the apparent condition, a sofa in a neutral color can take a family through the years.  "To me it's all about the layering," explained Amy Dickson, a 24e designer. 

A beige, brown, black, or other solid-colored couch can have so many different looks if a few of the couch pillows are changed out for pillows of a different color and/or print.  "It can be as bold as you want to go," said Dickson referencing a scrap of multi-colored fabric.  In the loft of the Savannah store, Joyner and Dickson demonstrated how they can change out a few pillows and alter the look of the furniture .  "Take this here, a standard, solid-barrel, baby blue sofa," said Joyner pointing to the sofa.  "This is a good palette to work off of," continued Joyner as he and Dickson removed and replaced every other blue pillow on the sofa for pillows with a black and white design. 

The idea of new pillows on an old couch can help those homeowners who are easily bored with the same look, those who like to decorate for the seasons, and those who want to toss out some of the shabbiness of their couch but can't afford to buy a new one.  "You can go from $20 for pillows and up to $2000 dollars on pillows embellished with things like feathers, and shells," explained Dickson.