Every so often, a classic detail steps back into the spotlight and reminds us just how much charm it carries. Right now, that detail is fringe. I’ve been seeing it everywhere—on sofas, chairs, pillows, beds, and more. It’s one of those finishing touches that instantly makes a room feel collected and just a little bit romantic. It’s a detail we’ve fallen for in a big way at Kathy Kuo Home, too—you’ll find it woven throughout many of the newest pieces in our Pre-Fall Collection.
Fringe carries a much longer history than people realize. It belongs to the world of passementerie—the centuries-old art of decorative trimmings that flourished in 17th and 18th century France, where skilled artisans hand-knotted tassels and trims for palaces and grand salons. The Victorians adored it, draping fringe over nearly every upholstered surface in sight, and it had another heyday in the glamorous interiors of the 1920s and ’30s.
"While fringe may feel of the moment, it’s really a return to a long tradition of craftsmanship—and that heritage is exactly what makes it feel so special today."
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Why Fringe Works in (Almost) Every Home
As an interior designer, what I love most about fringe is its versatility. Because fringe is a detail rather than a statement piece, it plays beautifully with nearly any aesthetic and all color palettes. On a tailored sofa, it reads as classic and European; on a barrel chair in a playful print, it feels fresh and unexpected. It never fights with what’s already in the room—it simply adds a layer of softness and movement.
Fringe also brings a handcrafted quality that’s hard to replicate any other way. It catches the light, it sways subtly when it’s touched, and it signals that someone cared enough to finish a piece thoughtfully. In a world of flat, mass-produced furniture, that little bit of artisanal charm goes a long way!
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Give Upholstered Furniture a Base Worth Noticing
The base of an upholstered piece is my favorite place to introduce fringe—it grounds the silhouette and adds a sense of old-world tailoring without overwhelming a room. On a sofa, a fringe trim along the bottom softens the frame and gives it that custom, made-for-the-room feeling. Our Lucinda sofa with fringe, a silhouette exclusive to Kathy Kuo Home, has quickly become a bestseller for exactly this reason!
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The same trick works wonders on accent chairs, where a tassel fringe hem adds a playful, collected charm, and even in the bedroom: Fringe along the base of an upholstered bed gives the frame a softness that pairs beautifully with crisp linens and a plush area rug. It’s the kind of detail guests notice without quite knowing why the room feels so special.
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Start Small with Pillows and Throws
If you’re fringe-curious but not ready to commit to furniture, start with the soft stuff. A brush fringe or tassel fringe border transforms even a solid-colored pillow into something with real personality. I love mixing a fringed pillow in a warm ochre hue against upholstery in a rich jewel tone, where the contrast lets the trim really shine. And never underestimate a fringed throw blanket! While it may be a modest detail, even that little edge of trim adds an extra layer of tactile richness to a room. Drape one over the arm of a sofa or fold it at the foot of the bed, and the whole vignette instantly feels more inviting.
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The Perfect Finishing Touch
However you bring it home, fringe is proof that the smallest details often make the biggest difference. If you’re ready to embrace the trend, our Pre-Fall Collection at Kathy Kuo Home is full of beautifully fringed pieces—from sofas and swivel chairs to beds and pillows—that make it easy to add this timeless touch to any room. I hope you love our newest pieces as much as I do!
