details: roman shades & seat cushion fabrics c/o Calico

To make our home as functional and enjoyable as possible this winter, we are sprucing up our home like no tomorrow!

Today I’m revealing one of our favorite revamps to date – our breakfast nook makeover with Calico! The fabrics, prints and color make my heart so happy.

The biggest surprise? Fabrics do WAY more than transform a room. They elevate it. And after you read my post, I think you’ll be a believer too (if you aren’t already!).

shop the post: marble table, bistro chair c/o, dress, headband {sold out but similar here}, earrings c/o

performance fabric calico blue and white stripe

Now that I understand the impact of shades and cushions, I want to drip our entire home in fabric.

Having gone through the process, I’m here to tell you not to make the same mistake we did of waiting so long.

Especially with Calico’s Semi-Annual Sale happening right now (you can get up to 25% off!).

Since there are secretly lots of decisions to be made when it comes to cushions and shades, I wanted to share the tips and tricks I picked up along the way.

But first, let’s chat why I HIGHLY recommend Calico…

shop the post: napkins, glasses {took the seagrass cover off}, pedestal (vintage but similar here), pitcher (old but similar here)

WHY CALICO

First off, I grew up with Calico in our home for yeeeeaaars. My mom’s obsessed. So to say I’ve witnessed their products stand the test of time is an understatement. Btw, did you see what they did to our family heirloom? You won’t believe your eyes.

But the true value of working with Calico {that’s not as apparent} is how easy they are to work with. It’s no coincidence they have the BEST reputation in the industry. They are PROS and have been around for YEARS. So the entire process is enjoyable from the beginning to end. Not just the outcome!

From their FREE interior design service, to going above and beyond, you feel at ease knowing your new curtains, couch, pillows, etc. will turn out wonderful. And when you’re spending money on something you haven’t seen yet? This confidence is priceless.

UP TO 25% OFF SEMI-ANNUAL SALE

If you’ve been on the fence about drapes, pillows, cushions, etc. – Calico’s famous FALL SALE is happening right now! But HURRY! It ends soon.

So if there’s anytime to pull the trigger, it’s NOW.

Now there are a lot of areas in our home that could use some Calico love. So if you are wondering which spot to tackle first, here’s how we made our decision.

WHY OUR BREAKFAST NOOK

Our breakfast nook is one of the highest traffic areas in our house. This tiny space gets used and seen A LOT.

It’s right off the kitchen and where you come in from the backyard and garage. So it was important for us to make our back entrance happy and inviting. In addition to eating and coloring here, it’s also “the spot” we unload everything.

On top of it all, since COVID, it turned into our “main entrance”. Since we entertain outside now, it’s where friends/family access our powder room. So it just made sense!

MEETING WITH CALICO

When I first met with Calico at their Hinsdale, IL location {you can find the closest store near you here}, the store manager, Linda, suggested seat cushions and shades. She is just a doll and highly recommend her! We sorted and sifted through alllll kinds of fabrics and patterns till we were blue in the face.

Look at all this scheming we did! We are absolutely thrilled with how it turned out. Of course, I went with blue and white and got really outside my comfort zone by mixing patterns.

Below are a few helpful tips I picked up throughout the process that will help anyone looking to refresh cushions or window treatments!

FABRIC TIPS & TRICKS

Start With Your Seating Fabric First. Window treatments second.
Welcome Spills With Pleasure: If you have children {or ahem! – husbands }, accidents are a given. So don’t waste any time and head straight to the performance fabrics when it comes to seating. Knowing Penelope’s orange juice spills will come out allows me to actually enjoy eating breakfast at the breakfast nook. Imagine that? Haha!
How To Double Your Use: If you have “L” shaped seating, skip angled cushion ends (where the two cushions meet in the corner). Instead get straight ends so you can use BOTH SIDES by flipping them upside down. This way you can rotate the use of the fabric, prolonging their life. If angled you can’t flip them!
Plush Seating For Years: When it comes to cushion thickness, I recommend 3-4 inches or thicker. Your seat cushion will naturally flatten over time, so compensate for it upfront. I also love how you can see the stripes from the side. It adds dimension, more color and it’s SO comfy.
Functional Shades: I almost didn’t go with Roman shades but I’m so happy I did. The functionality alone is worth it and we LOVE them! They can be lowered or pulled up depending on the time of day or if you want total privacy. When pulled up, the “folds” look fresh and modern, and add extra texture and softness. TIP: Calico recommends shorter cords for child safety! They literally think of everything.
Maximize Height and Width: Each space is different so this may not apply to you. But something worth reading so you know your options. Since our breakfast nook is small, we wanted give the illusion of a bigger space. So we opted for an outside mount to maximize the height and width of the fabric. ANOTHER TRICK: If you look closely, you’ll also notice how one Roman shade goes across TWO windows {versus doing two separate ones}.
Add Style: The style of your shades are JUST as important as the fabric you choose. So BE SURE to take this into consideration. Calico has a great handy dandy cheat sheet so you can see them all. An advantage of Roman shades versus a valance is you can see as much pattern as you want! I secretly lower them if company is coming to show them off.