Inject personality to your living space with our Singapore inspired fabrics designed by Mike Tay. Reupholstery refreshes furniture with fabrics that suit your style while extending its lifespan. Here are some ideas:

1. REUPHOLSTERING A SINGLE-SEATER ARMCHAIR

A single-seater armchair is a wonderful canvas for experimenting with patterns and colours. Even a simple change in fabric placement can give it a completely different character.

Mix Two Patterns

Use one pattern for the backrest and another for the seat. For example, pair the more open visual composition of City in the Garden with the denser botanical details of Million Greens.

Contrasting pattern scales create visual interest while keeping the overall design balanced.

Choose a Darker Colour for the Seat

The seat tends to show everyday marks more readily. A darker colourway can help disguise minor stains, while a lighter or more colourful backrest keeps the design interesting.

Add Coloured Piping

Contrasting piping highlights the shape of the armchair, picks up colours from the fabric and provides a neat finish where fabric panels meet.

Introduce Velvet

Velvet adds a rich, tactile quality that pairs beautifully with printed upholstery. Depending on the fabric construction, upholstery-grade velvet can offer good durability and colour retention. Always check the care instructions for maintenance requirements.

Design tip: Start with two complementary patterns, then introduce a contrasting piping colour to bring everything together.

2. REUPHOLSTERING A THREE-SEATER SOFA

A three-seater sofa offers more room to experiment. Instead of using the same fabric everywhere, consider how different patterns and colours can work together.

Four Ways to Combine Fabrics

Option A: Two patterns Use one pattern for the backrest and another for the seat to create a clear visual contrast.

Option B: One pattern for the backrest, another for the seat Carry the same design across the backrest and use a contrasting pattern on the seat. A darker seat can also help disguise everyday marks.

Option C: Three patterns Use one design for the backrest, another for the seat and a third for the armrests, if applicable. Shared colours help the different patterns work together.

Option D: Printed and plain Pair a patterned backrest with a solid-colour seat, or reverse the arrangement. Coloured piping can connect the two fabrics and highlight the sofa's silhouette.

You could even choose a light, plain backrest with a richly patterned seat for a more unexpected combination.

Design tip: When combining three patterns, look for shared colours or complementary tones to create a cohesive result.

The aim isn't to follow a fixed formula, but to create a sofa that feels personal to you.

3. COLOURFUL OR TONE-ON-TONE?

The colours and scale of a print can influence the entire atmosphere of a room.

Colourful and Expressive

Bright colours and bold patterns bring energy and personality to a space. Larger-scale prints can turn an armchair or sofa into a focal point, especially against a neutral backdrop.

Subtle and Understated

Tone-on-tone combinations offer a quieter kind of visual interest. Smaller prints and deeper, more muted shades create a sophisticated look while allowing the furniture to complement its surroundings.

Consider the Scale of the Print

A large botanical print in bright colours can feel bold and contemporary, while a smaller print in darker shades creates a more restrained effect.

Onlewo's patterns come in different colourways, allowing you to explore different moods while maintaining a coherent design language.

Whether you prefer bold contrasts or subtle details, the right combination is the one that feels at home in your space.

4. EXTEND THE DESIGN TO YOUR CURTAINS

Coordinating upholstery and curtains can create a more cohesive interior without requiring every element to match.

Full-Height or Window-Height Curtains

Double-pleated curtains offer a classic, tailored appearance. Full-height curtains can emphasise ceiling height, while window-height curtains offer a different proportion to suit your space.

Roman Blinds

For a neater, more structured look, consider Roman blinds. They fold upwards into horizontal pleats and can be useful where space is limited.

However, light may seep through around the edges, depending on the installation and lining. They may therefore be more suitable for living rooms, dining areas and studies than bedrooms where greater light control is needed.

Design tip: Pair patterned upholstery with curtains in a complementary solid colour, or combine different prints that share a common colour palette.

5. SOFTEN YOUR SPACE WITH WALLPAPER

Paint gives a room its colour, but wallpaper introduces another layer of pattern, depth and character.

Onlewo's Singapore-inspired wallpaper designs can transform a space, whether you choose to cover an entire room or introduce a feature wall.

Wallpaper can be particularly inviting at night, when warm lighting brings out the colours and details, creating a cosy atmosphere.

Living and Dining Areas

A feature wall behind the dining table or entertainment console adds character without overwhelming the room. Choose a design that complements your furniture and upholstery.

Private Lift Lobbies

Wallpaper can soften the area around lift doors, turning a functional transition space into a more welcoming entrance to your home.

Bedrooms

The wall behind the bed is a natural place for a wallpaper feature. Coordinate the design with your bedsheets, pillowcases and curtains, then complete the look with bedside lamps in complementary colours.

The result can feel lush and sophisticated without requiring an expensive bedframe or designer furniture. Often, it's the combination of patterns, colours and lighting that makes the difference.

Office Interiors

In meeting rooms, distinctive wallpaper can communicate your brand's personality to visiting clients. In staff pantries and breakout areas, colourful designs can create a more relaxed and cheerful environment.

Design tip: You don't need to wallpaper every wall. Sometimes, one well-chosen feature wall is all you need.

6. THE FINISHING TOUCHES: LAMPSHADES & CUSHIONS

Sometimes, it's the smaller details that bring an interior together.

Lampshades made with suitable Onlewo fabrics introduce another layer of pattern and colour while contributing to the room's ambience, especially in the evening.

Our story-inspired cushion covers offer another way to bring Singapore's character into your home.

Use them to pick up colours from your sofa, introduce a contrasting pattern or add a playful detail to a neutral interior.

You don't have to match everything perfectly. Repeating a colour across your cushions, curtains and lampshades can be enough to tie the room together.

It's the combination of large and small details that makes a space feel complete.

7. CREATE YOUR OWN DESIGN LANGUAGE

There is no single formula for combining upholstery, curtains and wallpaper.

You might prefer a colourful sofa with understated curtains, or a neutral living room with a striking wallpaper feature. You could repeat one pattern across several elements or mix different designs that share complementary colours.

Start with a single armchair or a pair of cushions, then gradually extend the look across your home.

Onlewo's Singapore-inspired designs offer a way to bring these elements together through a common visual language, from upholstered furniture to curtains, wallpaper, lampshades and cushions.

Keep the furniture you love. Introduce patterns that tell a story. Create a space that feels entirely your own.

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