Textiles in Design

Among the many materials that contribute to the design of a complete interior, textile fabrics have a particularly important role. They introduce a sense of softness, curvature and flexibility into a space, making a hard or bare-looking room seem soft, comfortable and humane. With their vast range of colors, texture and qualities, they offer unlimited design possibilities.
 Fabrics most often appear in interiors as upholstery cover materials for chairs, sofas cushions as bed and table covers and in window treatment, usually called by the traditional term drapery. Lesser uses include curtains in locations other than windows (at door openings, for example) and as wall-covering material. Textiles for interior use are usually divided into two basic groups, upholstery and drapery with some belonging to both.

In comparison with the basic contraction materials (stone, brick, wood, or plaster) that are likely to line a raw space, textiles are less lasting. While this may appear to be a disadvantage, it turns out to be a major reason for textiles' significance to the interior. Since, like paint, they require periodic renewal and are easy to change, they regularly provide an opportunity to do over a space with new color and texture. Indeed, the phrase "to redecorate" implies new paint and new fabrics as the primary means of renewal.

It is probably because of this sense of textiles' impermanence that designers feel free to be somewhat adventurous in their choice of fabrics colors, textures and patterns. This in turn has encouraged designers and manufacturers of textiles to offer tremendous variety. Fabric design has a close relationship to the world of fashion and shares its constant search for newness and change. Some fabrics. particularly prints and other patterned fabrics enjoy a brief popularity and then disappear because they come to look dated and out of style. Textile lines reflect changing tastes in terms of color and weave as well. On the other hand, certain basic fabrics will always be available and any color can be produced on special order, even if color lines change. Fabric selections should always be made after a fresh review of what is currently available.

SELECTING TEXTILES

The selection of textiles often ranks with the choice of furniture, floor coverings and paint colors as a key element in the designer's contribution to a design project. Textile selection may seem deceptively simple-a matter of casually choosing some attractive colors and textures-but the subject is actually complex and merits more careful attention.

Color:
It is most practical to make fabric selections while the color scheme is being developed. This can be approached in tow ways. One way is to select approximate colors for the fabric, using colored papers or any other color medium to represent the desired fabric color, while leaving the selection of the actual material to a later time (when visiting various showrooms, for example). However, this creates an extra step when the process can be dealer with all at once. (It is also often difficult to locate a close match for a sample in a particular kind of fabric). The other approach, to make a final fabric selection when developing a color scheme, saves the extra step but presents other difficulties. It requires having on hand a large selection of samples. This involves visiting showrooms for textiles, or compiling sources from advertisements in design magazines. Many furniture manufacturers are also textile distributors, not only for providing fabrics for their own products but for general use as well, often offering drapery in addition to upholstery fabrics. Some will provide complete sample swatch sets on request or at a small charge.

After making a selection of fabrics according to colors and other qualities, you might request a sample swatch, which can be put on file for reference when a scheme is being planned. Swatches, usually a small (three to four inches square) are attached to a card identifying the manufacturer and pattern number and giving other data such as width, fiber content and price. While small samples give a poor indication of the appearance of large-scale patterns and prints and may even misrepresent basic colors and textures, the swatch remains a primary selection tool because of its convenience, availability and low cost. Manufacturers will loan out samples of a square yard, called a memo square or prints or large patterns. IF the scale of the project or the fabric's intended use warrants it, memo squares can be purchased.