Home Decorating Fabric

Fabrics play a large part in your design scheme. They are used for upholstery, window treatments, throw pillows, carpeting and area rugs. Decorating fabrics, sometimes referred to as designer fabrics, can make up a large part of your decorating budget. Knowing a little bit about this important element in your project may help you avoid costly mistakes, and make choosing the right fabrics easier.

Types

Fabrics can be synthetic or natural. Synthetic fabrics, such as polyester and rayon, are durable and adaptable to a variety of uses, such as upholstery and carpeting.

Natural materials include cotton, linen, wool and silk. These are commonly applied to upholstery and window treatments.

Construction

All fabrics are made up of fibers, which make up the yarns used to weave the fabric. The yarns are woven in vertical and horizontal patterns called weaves. There are three basic weaves: plain, twill and satin.

Plain weave is the most common. The warp, or horizontal yarns, is woven over and under the weft, or vertical yarns.

In a twill weave, weft yarns pass over two or more warp yarns, creating diagonal lines and interlacing patterns.

To create a satin effect, warp yarns pass over weft yarns, creating widely spaced intervals in the interlacing. This weave results in the smooth finish you see in satins and sateen fabrics.

Fibers

Fabric is made up of fibers and those fibers come from a variety of sources and can be manipulated in a variety of ways. The source of the fibers, whether synthetic or natural, and the configuration of those fibers to create fabric have an impact on the color that you see. The color green, for example, takes on differing appeals when applied to cotton and to silk. The cotton fabric will appear fresh and have a matte finish. The silk will be richer and shinier.

Texture

Just as you may be attracted to a fabric for its color, how it feels is equally important. Scratchy or stiff fabrics such as burlap may make great window treatments in a rustic design scheme, but you don't want them for your couch.

Soft yet durable fabrics for your furniture include olefin, linen and woven wool. Chenille, micro-suede and sateen are also appropriate. All these fabrics are tightly woven, durable and soft.

Pattern

The patterns of the fabrics you choose for your home can set the tone of a room. Brightly colored geometric shapes make for a modern appeal, while plaids and solids offer a more traditional look. How a pattern affects the look of your room depends on where you use it. For example, a toile pattern on a throw pillow brings in color and pattern in a discreet way, while the same toile as full-length drapery may overwhelm a space.

Lighting

The dye used to color the yarns, the type of fibers they're made from and the kind of weave used in construction all work together to create a specific fabric. But the effect that fabric has in your design scheme is dependent on the light.

A rich red velvet may show a bluish tint in dim lighting, making it appear more purple than red. A pretty pink floral may look garish under a halogen lamp. And satin under fluorescent lighting looks like a cheap suit on a traveling salesman.

Before making your final purchases on any fabrics you choose for your home, obtain a decent sized sample of the material and bring it home. Place the sample where you intend to use the fabric in your home and check to be sure the light and fabric are compatible.