The budget was $22,000, which included a $4,500 fee for Siskin Valls's design, $2,500 to redo the floors and $1,400 for sofa fabric.

Lust black satin sofa fabric.

Mrs. Nicholas accompanied Ms. Dineen on shopping trips to places like the Decoration and Design Building, where she chose a velvetlike sofa fabric called Ibisco, which resembled old tapestry (by Voghi from Ian Wall, $89 a yard).

The natural-material palette is relieved only with great care: an unfigured purple sofa fabric.

Stephen Burks, a Manhattan-based industrial designer, developed the wood-framed Pleats sofa, upholstered in a stitched-down pleated royal blue fabric.

We made loose fitting covers in a neutral beige with Aura, a totally waterproof sofa fabric from Agua (www.aguafabrics.com) so the Jack Russells can chill out on them too.

The clues she gave me to the fabrics' identities were tidbits of information printed on a swatch of the drapery fabric and a scribbled note she had written years ago about the origin of the sofa fabric.

The sofa fabric, a floral pattern on a dark brown background, was Hampton pattern 3521 Hot Fudge, Crossroads Collection, Woodco.

Her hand lay on the sofa fabric between them, clawed fingers tapping.