How This Simple Design Hack Can Elevate Any Piece of Furniture

When designing a home, most people spend a lot of time thinking about the big things: rugs, sofas, appliances (and those are all important!). But there's one design detail that pulls more than its weight in making a statement: Trim, aka passementerie. An umbrella term used to describe everything from embroidered tapes to fringes, tassels, nailheads, and more, trim is any good designer's secret weapon—and with the right knowledge, it can be yours too. Trim takes anything from a blah chair to a cheap curtain and makes it instantly bespoke. For House Beautiful's Color Issue, Senior Style Director Robert Rufino set out to prove just how transformative a yard of tape, cord, or fringe can be. “Add trim to an inexpensive curtain or a high-end love seat," he advises. "It will enhance the richness of the colors and intensify the drama.” Read on for the proof.