HOT TIPS : COLOR MAKES A COMEBACK IN WORLD OF FURNITURE DESIGN.

Byline: - Daily News Wire Services

After years of coasting along in neutrals, the new crop of fall/winter furniture fabric colors is scoring heavy on the side of color.

Sofas, ottomans, chairs and the throws that are being tossed on them are showing up in deep, saturated hues teamed with soft, touchable textures, according to the Home Furnishings Council.

Fabric-wise, watch for cottons and chenilles, with cushy, distressed, informal, washed velvets leading the way.

On the color front, Persian-inspired colors that borrow from the spice family are heating up - henna, cinnamon, paprika and saffron tones with lots of depth to them. Bright garden and vegetable-dyed colors are also making an impression - yellow, lime and celery.

Cuff 'em: Do you sometimes pull your sweatshirt sleeves down over your hands when you're cold?

It's a common practice that can warm the hand but limits use of your fingers.

The solution is Handcuffs - a sweatshirt with roll-down cuffs that convert into fingerless gloves.

Handcuffs are the now-patented brainchild of Bob and Chuck Mellon of Southern California. While riding dirt bikes three years ago, Chuck took a tumble and tore a hole in the sweatshirt he was wearing. Putting the same sweatshirt on later, his thumb popped out of the hole and the proverbial light bulb went on.

Then tile and electrical contractors, the Mellon brothers had a sewing contractor make 1,200 of their Handcuff designs, which they quickly sold at a Fresno store kiosk. In 1996, they moved from a kiosk operation to a store. Handcuffs are now licensed to MGI Limited, a private label manufacturer of clothing brands such as No Fear and Arizona Jeans Co.

Now Handcuffs are available in selected J.C. Penney stores. They're offered in children's sizes, priced from $24 to $30, and adult sizes, priced $29 to $44 in crew neck pullover, hooded pullover, hooded zip front and turtleneck styles. They come in 12 colors.

Buyer's guide: On West Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, you can buy vintage clothing at a store called Come to Mamma.

Vacation in New York and visit Cheap Jack's on lower Broadway for 15,000 square feet of apparel dating back to the 1800s. Buy consignment celebrity clothes at Encore uptown on Madison Avenue.

So goes the information you'll find in ``The Ultimate Consignment and Thrift Store Guide'' by Carolyn Schneider (Consignment and Thrift Store Publishing; $16.95).

If you're a dedicated scavenger of old and recently new, you may know the best sources in your neighborhood but not in other cities.

The book does not list every store, but it gives you a start in such places as Honolulu and Nashville, Tenn. It's available at major bookstores, or check into www.consignmentguide.com.