The quickest way to freshen a piece of furniture and lift the spirits is through fabric.

I feel years younger -- and so does my dining room -- now that I've re-covered the seats of chairs I inherited from my great-grandfather. The shield-back style of the chairs is classic; the upholstery featuring a frumpy fruit pattern definitely was not.

So I found some hip fabric (a gray cotton with a modern graphic print), took an upholstery stapler et voila! A whole new look for the dining room in less than two hours for about $40.

''Shouldn't you take the chairs to a professional upholsterer?'' a dubious friend asked before I started my DIY project. For a sofa or even a whole chair, yes. But for a few seat cushions, no. It's so easy and more affordable to do it yourself.

Fabrics are a way to set the mood of the room. Want sophistication in the bathroom? Create a tall fabric shower curtain that hangs from a rod close to the ceiling. It makes the room feel larger, too.

''A tall shower curtain is an expensive designer look, and it's so easy to make,'' says Eddie Ross of New York, who was a contestant on Bravo's Top Design reality show. ``You don't even have to sew.''

Ross suggests taking an existing fabric shower curtain and finding a coordinating fabric for the bottom, fusing the fabrics together using Stitch Witchery, which works as an adhesive when it's ironed. Sure, the fabrics can be sewn together instead.

This year Betsy Blodgett, a fashion designer, made her own shower curtain from a pink Asian-style fabric with metallic gold threads she found on sale at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

''It transformed the room, really setting the tone,'' says Blodgett, whose bathroom now has a boudoir look. ``The vinyl shower curtain before was hideous, definitely not very inspiring.''

Designers say fabric reflects personal style more than paint does. That's why Karen Roark, owner of Urban Arts and Crafts in Kansas City, Mo., likes the idea of fabric as wall decor. For a modern look, fabric can be wrapped around square wooden frames and stapled in back. The fabric frames can be hung in a horizontal series of three or four or a grid pattern of nine. Placed inside garage-sale frames, fabric takes on a more vintage, feminine style.

Fabrics also can give a nod to trends without breaking the bank. Besides modern graphics, current looks include ethnic-inspired ikat (pronounced e-cat) and suzani motifs, says Jan Jessup, spokeswoman for Calico Corners, which sells hundreds of decorative fabrics. Wood grain-pattern prints also are popular.

Don't forget to shop your linen and clothes closets for fabrics, Ross says. A towel can make a plush terry-cloth ottoman cover in a bathroom. A flat sheet can be turned into a duvet cover. Even classic summertime seersucker can give a fresh makeover when it is used to upholster chairs.

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