Home Decorating Guide – Soft Furnishing Fabrics

Fabrics offer more than comfort; they also provide texture, color and pattern.

Fabrics can also be the unifying force which holds a room together. It is not unusual to find a piece of fabric that you like so much that it not only inspires a whole color scheme, but forms the basis of the decor of a room.

Such a material can be used for more than making curtains; it can transform a selection of cheap or mismatching furniture, giving it a smart unified look.

A table can be made from a circle of chipboard set on a stand and dressed up with floor-length circular cloths made from this fabric. Cushion covers can be run up from the same material and it can be used to edge or make lampshades. Even a plain wicker chair can be transformed with a loose cover, slipped over and secured with little fabric ties.
Even if you do not use the same material throughout a room, you can pick out elements of it, such as a particular color, which can provide the linking force in a scheme. By varying the texture and weight of the fabrics used but keeping to this color you will achieve an harmonious but not over-fussy look.

The visual appeal of a fabric must be matched by its performance and comfort factor. Fabrics designed for upholstery now have to be treated with a fire-resistant product. There are also many protective treatments which will guard other fabrics against fire, stains and insects, however it is still down to the decorator to choose the right fabric for its intended use. Some need to be more durable than others, for example the covering of a sofa will get a great deal of wear and must also be comfortable to sit on. So if it is a hot country, a cool, smooth linen will work much better than a warm wool. Think too about using a protective treatment to guard the fabric against stains and general wear-and-tear.

In bedrooms, the linen you choose for the bed is as much a part of the decorative scheme as the curtains or carpets. If you cannot find anything that matches the other colors or patterns in the room, then buy a plain inen in a neutral color and trim it with the same color you have used for the curtains. This will neatly tie it in with the rest of the decor for very little effort and at very little cost.

Alternatively upholster a bed head with matching material, padded with foam, and carry the theme on through with a bed valance.

Other treatments which produce a wonderfully luxurious and co-ordinate look involve using the curtain material to make a canopy for over the bed. This could range from simple folds of fabric suspended from curtain poles above the head of the bed, to a more formal tent effect.

While the kitchen and bathroom require less soft furnishings than the rest of the house, there are still many potential uses for fabrics. Windows need to be dressed, shelves can be edged and covers made for any chairs. The bathroom may need a shower curtain, or a curtain to finish off the basin. The opportunities to use soft furnishings imaginatively are enormous. Trimmings can be a designer’s best friend -they can be used to bring color to a plain curtain or cushions. Patterned furnishings can be finished with a plain-colored edging or border to bring out an accent or dominant color in the design.

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