I’ve dealt with fabrics a lot throughout the course of my career as an Interior Designer – like a lot! Fabrics are so versatile no matter what type of space you’re designing for. The treatments, colors, patterns – the possibilities are endless. What’s more is there’s been a growing trend with fabric applications on walls and ceilings on top of the endless traditional application possibilities. I’ve had the opportunities to work on projects where fabric was either the forefront or ‘just to sit your butt on’ only. Although it’s very easy to pick a fabric because ‘it’s pretty’, there are several other fabrics to consider when selecting the right fabric for your next project. Whether you’re redesigning your home or working on a corporate workplace renovation, there are many key properties to be aware of.
Read on and expand your design knowledge through the wonderful world of fabrics!
Natural vs. Synthetic
It may be easy to assume that natural products would be the way to go when sourcing fabrics for Interior Design. Not so fast! Although popular natural fabrics such as cotton, silk, linen, and wool offer huge ranges for seating, wall, and ceiling upholstery, there are also our synthetic friends like rayon, acrylic, nylon, polyester, and acetate that offer added properties best for commercial environments. Let’s review some of the pros and cons of natural and synthetic fabrics:
Cotton – breathable, strong, and very versatile, cotton offers an affordable solution for residential furniture upholstery or décor;
Silk – a little on the pricey-er side but very luxurious nevertheless. Since this fabric tends to fade in direct sunlight overtime, it’s best to be mindful of it’s application. I’ve used touches of silk for high-end rugs in lounge spaces (very pretty!);
Linen – similar to cotton, linen tends to have a casual look while being quite versatile. Although it naturally has good stain resistance properties, I would see this one in more informal settings;
Wool – believe it or not wool is the strongest and most durable natural fabric out there. It’s also naturally flame retardant – a plus for us designers in the commercial world! I’ve used wool fabrics a ton in seating upholstery and wall panel applications. To avoid that itchy feel we all know and love with wool, try a blended wool fabric instead. Less itch while still maintaining the great natural properties of wool;
Rayon – this is one of those fabrics that naturally tends to drape well making it a great selection for curtains. It has a similar, comforting feel of natural fabrics while imitating the feel and texture of our natural fabric friends. It’s also offered in a huge array of colors (yay we love color!) as the fibers are easy to dye;
Acrylic – although this has great stain and fade resistant properties, I’ve typically only used this when it’s blended with a natural fabric as it increases its durability. Unfortunately, this guy can be a bit tricky to clean!
Nylon – similar to our wool friend, nylon is a very durable synthetic fabric with high performance properties. The only downfall here is, considering it’s synthetic, it is not as breathable as a more natural cotton fabric;
Polyester – another popular one and one that, similar to acrylic, is also blended with natural fabrics. Although it’s not as strong or easy to clean, it does have good fade resistant properties;
Acetate – an amazing fabric for curtains and, unlike acrylic, it does not create those little pill balls on the surface that we all love (ugh so annoying!). This one is also wrinkle resistant.
Designing with Fabrics
It can be easy to get overwhelmed with all of the colors, styles, patterns, and possibilities with fabric. But, whether your next project will feature your favorite fabric in large scale or more of an accent setting, there are ways to best achieve the looks you’re going for.
Here are some tips for your next residential or commercial design project:
1. Fall in love with a few or more fabrics and consider them for the base of your design. Find pops of color, whether neutral or bright, as either the basis for your color palette or a fun accent wall color;
2. When choosing the right fabric colors, find inspiration from color ways in your flooring or even your clients corporate branding. You must also consider the application! You would never source an all-white fabric for a corporate kitchen, right? Right!;
3. If you’re not shy of pattern, consider a variety instead of being married to one pattern type. Florals, stripes, or geometrics are all fun patterns with multiple scales, colors, and contexts. Again, consider the application!;
4. Stemming from my last point, the scale of the fabric patterns can play a big role here too. Think of how much less of an impact your fabrics would make in your project if they were all big and bold. Nothing would stand out and the intention would be lost. Consider a big, bold geometric pattern as the centerpiece to your fabric offering while the others remain on the subtle side;
5. Consider the shade and tone of the fabrics your specifying and stick to a family of color that share similar qualities;
6. This may sound pretty obvious but, in a small room, stick to your more subtle fabric friends as something with a big, bold pattern can appear quite overwhelming;
7. Introduce bold patterns or colors in smaller applications such as accent pillows. Often times, we can sick of those crazy patterns that were once cool pretty quick. Think of how expensive it would be switch this out on a bigger application like a sofa – ouch!
Now you’ve been introduced to the vast and lovely world of fabrics! At the end of the day, have fun with it and really take the time to find the right application for your project.
What are your favorite fabrics to work with? Let me know in the comments section below!
