This is a wordy post.  I won’t know if you just skip down to look at more picture laden posts! J

Upholstery fabric can be pricey.  It can cost hundreds of dollars a yard (but you can pick it up for $20 bucks too—I don’t want to scare you) and if you add that to the cost to reupholster a piece (or even the supplies to DIY), upholstery jobs can be expensive. 
To prevent buyer’s remorse, here are some tips:
-Bring a photo of the room (if you’re designing to fit into a scheme).  I totally kept misremembering the shades of green in the room, so I was glad I could refer to a picture on my phone to refresh my mind.
-Check the prices right away.  You don’t want to fall in love with something that’s out of the question.
-But, if you do fall in love with a pricey print, order a small piece for a pillow or save it for a special small piece, like a footstool, and find something cheaper for your sofa project.
-Play fast and loose with the samples you’ll bring home.  What I fell in love with in the store was blah at home, so I’m glad I was greedy and brought home dozens of fabrics that caught my eye.
-Some companies provide stores with large samples and also smaller ones in a book.  Try to get as big a sample as possible.
-Try out the fabrics in the room, on the item of furniture if you can, in evening and daylight.  What looked super cute in the sunlight read as beige at night.  Find something you like all day long.  (Same goes for paint colours).
-If a salesperson is helping you, be specific about what you like and use example from their display (I explained which greens were too dull and showed her which shades I liked) but don’t be overly specific.  I wasn’t too bossy and, as a result, the woman helping me pulled some really awesome prints I wouldn’t have picked because I was so narrowly focused.  The fabric I ended up picking was one she suggested!
-If you’re constantly changing your décor, pick a pattern with a few colours so you can pull a different colour out as an accent if you get bored with the original scheme.  Or pick a more flexible pattern, like black & cream houndstooth or grey & white herringbone, which can be dressed to fit more décor schemes than a giant hot pink flowered print.
-If you’re scared of pattern, pick a textured solid (like a great tweed or velvet) and splurge on a gorgeous throw pillow in a great print (like the super expensive one I know you’ll pick first).
I’m always tense about shopping for bigger ticket items.  I can’t afford to re-do if I don’t like what I bought or did.  But, the best advice (for me, especially) has to be this: just relax and go with what makes you the most excited.  I liked all the fabrics, but I picked the one I was most excited about. 
What are your tips???
 
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