100% Design London: Tuft it yourself? New buttoned furniture lends an idea for that old couch

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One of the most satisfying pastimes at a design show is finding DIY ideas that are good enough to steal. Here’s one from the just-closed 100% Design London show: Everyone knows that changing the buttons is a cheap and easy fix for a tired jacket, but what about upholstered furniture? The show featured two examples of buttons deployed for cheeky doses of color -- inspiration, perhaps, for perking up your chair or sofa when you can’t afford to replace it. Bespoke upholstery buttons in varying hues and textures from Bute Fabrics adorned the new Capsule Collection couches and armchairs by Ziglam & Brook, above. (The pieces are available via Deadgood Products.) And a gray couch from & Then Design was given some added personality with blue buttons, right.

Both are effects that DIYers could try to replicate themselves. And if you’re not that brave, hiring a pro to handle the button work would still cost less than buying something new.

-- Kristin Hohenadel