TEXTILE USES IN INTERIOR DESIGN

Casements are usually made of a coarser weave than a sheer, and are available in a variety of patterns. The fabric should be droppable, sun resistant, and should wash or clean well without shrinkage. Leno weaves especially help control sag­ging and are commonly used in commercial environments.

Drapery linings are necessary to protect the drapery from sunlight and provide a uniform exterior appearance. Acrylic fibre is particularly resistant to sunlight.

Lightweight and decorative curtains are frequently made from cottons and cotton-polyester blends. Curtains used in kitchens and restaurants should be constructed of washable material. Curtains are a relatively inexpensive window treat­ment solution and will have a shorter useful life than a drap­ery treatment.

Upholstery is a fabric, animal skin, or other material that cov­ers furniture permanently, adds beauty and comfort, con­ceals or emphasizes the furniture design, and adds to or sets the theme or mood of the room.

Fabric used for upholstery should have a tight weave, be durable, comfortable, and easy to clean.

When purchasing upholstered furniture, fabric is a primary consideration because it is an expression of personality and individual taste. In selecting the fabric, use is generally the determining factor. Selecting suitable upholstery fabric involves answering questions such as the following:

1. What type of fibre and weave are employed? An upholstered fabric, for example, will last longer if the warp and fill are the same weight and tightly woven.

2. Is the fabric attractive and comfortable to the touch?

3. Is a patterned or plain fabric preferred? Fabrics with small overall patterns tend to show soil less than solid colours. If a pattern is chosen, is it in scale with the furniture and the room, and does it support the style?

4. Is the fabric suitable for its intended function? For example, will the upholstery be used by active children in a family room, or by a single professional in a seldom-visited area?

5. Is the fabric the best quality the budget will allow, considering long-term wear and maintenance? It is usually inadvisable to buy expensive fabric for cheap furniture and fabric of lesser quality for fine furniture.

Slipcovers may cover worn upholstered furniture, protect more expensive fabrics, and brighten or change a room's at­mosphere. Usually, slipcovers are used only in residential settings.

Some manufacturers offer fur­niture upholstered in muslin or other plain fabrics that can be purchased with several changes of slipcovers to help dress the furniture for seasonal changes.

Fabrics can be used on walls to add beauty or to solve a decorative problem. The fabric should have a tight weave with firm body. Canvas, burlap, ticking, heavy cotton or linen, velveteen, and damask are often used for wall coverings. In commercial environments, flammability codes for wall coverings must be followed.