Little details make a statement about a room. The fringe on a throw pillow, the beads on a lampshade, the pompoms on curtains — all whisper something.


“It’s the jewelry of the room. It really adds an extra layer,” said Farah Kathwari, director of style communications for Ethan Allen in Danbury, Conn.

Those added details, known as trims, can make a room stand out.

“They can help define a look of a room,” Kathwari said. “People want more of those details.”

Modern looks have fewer trims, but formal styles are full of them, and they seem to be creeping back into the mainstream. Even spare, clean rooms might have a throw pillow with a thick moss fringe or a sofa with a braided cord around the edges.

“Generally, trims are added to be more formal,” she said. “More traditional formal rooms are where you’ll see the most trims.”

Many trims have the look associated with Victorian rooms or English country houses. But they are finding their way into a variety of room styles.

One common trim is fringe. It can be long or short. A moss fringe is thick and soft, made from short yarns.

“It gives it that mossy feeling,” Kathwari said.

Bullion fringe is long and thick and works as a skirt on the bottom of a chaise longue or sofa.

Tassel fringe and pompom fringe are found on curtains and pillows. The tassel fringe, running along curtains or used as tiebacks, has a ball of threads leading to fluffs of fringe. The pompom fringe also can decorate curtains or pillows and ends in a small puff.

Another common trim is a welt — that strip that goes along the edge of a chair or sofa. A cord or braided welt might skim the edge of a sofa or a taped welt might rest flat on the skirt of a sofa.

Glass beads embroidered onto a pillow or dangling from a lampshade are other trim options. The lay of the fabric also can be a distinguishing mark. The skirt of a sofa or a bed skirt might have a neat box pleat.

“People are recognizing the value of these kinds of dressmaker details, the handmade details,” Kathwari said.

She views it as a return to handcrafted items.

Choosing trims that go with the style of the room can be tricky, though, and she advises relying on professionals, whether it’s an interior designer or a designer who works in a store.

“Certain types of fringe and beading will work with certain fabrics,” she said.

A formal English country house might use fabrics with patterns of tartan, paisley and checks. Trims that would work well with those fabrics include moss fringe and velvet cording.

A modern formal room might use a lot of tassel fringe.

An English, French or Italian style would have more trim of bullion fringe or tassel fringe. These styles, Kathwari said, call for a more layered look of trims.

Paulita Kincer is a freelance writer looking at home-decorating trends in central Ohio. Designers and renovators can nominate a completed project for a profile. Please call 614-461-5173 for a form.