Trends [current style; the popular taste at a given time] tend to come and go so I typically don’t try to keep up with every little thing in vogue.   In part because I’m a person that likes change in my surroundings but I keep the bulk of my changes to seasonal accessories and re-purposing items I already own.  I change out upholstery and wall coverings when the room or item is old enough to warrant it.

Image via Country Living

I would say my design model is Traditional with a cottage/country leaning.  I prefer European influenced furnishings and accessories, but because our home is relatively small the cottage look is very appealing.  The traditional style leans towards furnishings that supposedly never really go out of style.  Maybe?

A trend I’ve noted in blog land and shelter magazines is the use of fabrics that aren’t manufactured to be ‘upholstery fabric’ in the strictest definition of the word.  I’m talking about Home Depot/Lowe’s canvas drop clothes.  There are even tutorials out there for the ambitious and talented do-it-yourself person.  I love the simplicity of white drop cloth upholstered chairs and benches.

Marian over at Mustard Seed Creations has covered several pieces of furniture with these drop clothes and they look amazing.  Visit HERE to read her instructions for making slipcovers for chairs using drop cloth.

Another favorite design-site is Brooke’s Velvet & Linen. Brooke recently wrote about a beautiful chair her husband designed called the Clive.  The first chair was covered in drop cloth fabric—it looks so amazing.

Osnaberg fabric is another fabric not originally meant to grace a lovely wing back or cover an ottoman.  Osnaberg got it’s humble start as a loosely woven fabric designed to transport dry food…essentially the fabric originated in Osnabruck, Germany and it’s coarse but strong thread count was used for feedsacks, among other things.

Another fabric that is receiving exposure is burlap—A Country Farmhouse used a runner on their newly remodeled dining room that looks like it could be washed burlap.  The effect is so pretty…less really is more!

Most of us have seen and loved the French grain-sack pillows/cushions that are so popular right now—they are earthy and appealing in homes around the globe.  Isn’t the whole global market amazing?  You can find sites that offer tutorials on how to apply words and pictures to fabric that provide the same look as some of the more costly grain sack cushions…this, in the words of MS, is a good thing!  A recent post by the charming site:  Ticking and Toile offered a tutorial HERE.

Are you using/or have you used any of the above mentioned fabrics on any projects in your home?  I want to use the drop clothes for something, not sure what just yet.