Soft furnishings are more than just interchangeable decorations. They also create a homely feeling, and at their best, they can express personal style. Choosing material for curtains, upholstery and accessories demands judgment to ensure all your furnishings match perfectly. Floor coverings and furniture are long-term decorations, but cloth has a shorter life cycle, allowing you to quickly redesign a room. New curtains or an eye-catching cushion on the sofa can visibly alter a living room's style. "You can instantly create a more comfortable atmosphere," said Elisabeth Berkau, a textile designer and weaver. Curtains and blinds can achieve different effects, depending on their color and pattern. A pleated, draw-up blind in a floral pattern covered with flounces can create a playful mood. "On the other hand a plain, flat, roll-up, Holland blind can look very minimalist and calming," explained Berkau. The same applies to Japanese-style sliding screens over windows, which make a room look modern while also conferring an atmosphere that is cool and distant. Finding the right material is a challenge, because the selection of textiles on the market is enormous. Berkau recommends visiting an interior decorator to get a few tips and to look through pattern books. "You have to feel material first," she said. "After that, it's the fabric's pattern or color that will eventually guide you to the right material." Fabric for a curtain should not be too heavy. "Linen is a very longlasting material and looks very classy when it's crumpled," said Berkau. But linen is not to everyone's taste. If you want to have smartlooking curtains you are better off choosing an easy-to-care-for polyester material. Choosing a good mix of patterns, colors and nicely shaped cushions can pep up a plain sofa. Interior designer Jessica Stuckstaette advises paying close attention to a fabric's texture. "A shiny, smooth cushion made from satin is best suited for leaning against," Stuckstaette said. "Soft and warm materials like velvet, felt or corduroy are much more cozy and great for snuggling up to." For floor cushions or seat cushions, pick tough fabrics like denim or upholstery fabric. Upholstery material is the obvious choice for your favorite armchair or sofa: everything else will quickly wear out. "Most furniture makers use what's called the Martindale index," explained designer Vera Kerzel. "The higher the [number on the index], the sturdier the material. As a rule you should be more reserved when picking colors to re-cover a large sofa, otherwise it will end up dominating a room." But an armchair covered with an eyecatching material can quickly end up becoming your favorite piece of furniture. Kerzel sugegests asking a vendor to let you pick a few samples of material and take them home with you to see how they look under different lighting conditions.Then use your gut feeling to decide which material is best for your home.Munih / DPA