Fabrics
A number of room elements involve fabrics (also known as textiles). You may need to choose fabrics for furniture upholstery, wall treatments, bed linens, window coverings, decorative cushions, etc. In addition to ensuring the fabrics work well together in terms of design elements (such as color, texture and pattern), you'll need to ensure they will stand up well. Know also how they will react to light, water, humidity and different climate changes.
Fabrics can add warmth and color and ambiance to a room while bringing in different patterns and textures. Expensive, exquisite and luxurious fabric can add a look of elegance and formality to a room while casual fabrics can add a look of comfort to a room. Depending on the weave, the weight and the type of fabric, this can affect the cost, use and durability of the fabric. Tightly woven fabrics (such as brocades and damask) are more durable and can be used to upholster furniture, while loosely woven fabrics (such as burlap and chenille) would not hold up that well on furniture but would work well for curtains and drapes (burlap) and decorative cushions and throws (chenille). There are fabrics made of natural fibers such as silk, wool, cotton and linen and there are synthetic fabrics made from manufacturers fibers such as polyester, nylon and acrylic. Following is a list of popular fabric terms: Batik: Hand-printed material colored by dipping the fabric into dye.
Brocade: Originally heavy silk with an elaborate pattern in silver or gold threads. Brocade fabric has an embossed appearance. Chenille: From the French word for "caterpillar," so named because chenille fabric is plush and fuzzy. Also used to denote fabrics made with chenille yarn. Chintz: Originally any printed cotton fabric. Now refers to a fabric with a "glazed" or polished surface. Damask: named for the ancient city of Damascus where elaborate designs were woven in silk. Damask is flatter than brocade and it's reversible. The pattern changes color on the wrong side. Jacquard: Damasks, tapestries, brocades, matelass and all cloths with elaborate figures woven on jacquard loom.
Matelass: French, meaning "to cushion or pad." Refers to fabric with a quilted surface produced on the loom. A figured brocaded cloth with a raised pattern. Moire: A fabric; particularly silk, with a watered or wavy pattern. Ticking: A strong cotton fabric used to cover mattresses. Toile: A sheer cotton or linen fabric When decorating, use a variety of fabrics (just as you would use a variety of patterns and textures) to add interest, warmth and color. Again, when putting together the decorating plan, it is ideal to create a design board in advance with the various fabrics/patterns, textures, paint colors, flooring, window coverings, etc. to see how the combinations will work together.
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