Fabric of design lies in picking right textiles

Interiors decorators and designers love fabrics. We feel like kids in a candy store as we pore over dozens of fabric books looking for just the right pattern, texture or color that will complete a room. Draperies, Roman shades, bedding, table linens, upholstery-- when you think of everything in a home covered with fabric you see how much potential there is to make a statement.

I am currently helping one client change the entire look of her living room and dining room simply by changing the fabrics. We have opted to reupholster her sofa and two chairs rather than buy new pieces. We selected a beautiful cream-colored tone-on-tone paisley for the sofa, a textured blue solid for the two chairs, a floral print in blue and brown for the window treatment, and a blue and brown stripe for the dining chairs. The lively colors will update the room and suit the family's taste and style.

There are a wide variety of home decorator fabrics to choose from. When selecting fabrics for the home, purchase decorator fabrics rather than garment fabrics. With higher thread counts and tighter weaves, decorator fabrics generally offer longer wear. Because of the 54-inch width of decorator fabric, you will need less yardage than if you were to purchase 45-inch wide garment fabric.

To help you identify certain fabrics, I offer this basic glossary.

Brocade-- fabric with a raised design, often floral, woven into the background fabric. Brocades have an opulent appearance and are very much at home in traditionally decorated, formal rooms. Often made of silk, brocades can also be made from wool, cotton or blends.

Damask-- woven fabric, similar to, but smoother than brocade. Has a matte pattern against a shiny background. Often described as "tone-on-tone," the pattern and the background are the same color. Like brocade, damask is a formal fabric, suitable for elegant, formal rooms. You can find damask in silk, linen, rayon, or a combination of fibers.

Moiré-- silk or rayon fabric with a wavy pattern resembling a water mark. It is a formal-looking fabric that works well for window treatments such as swags and draperies. 

Toile-- (pronounced TWALL) cotton or linen fabric printed with landscape scenes or even scenes of historic events. Most often you will see toile prints in colors like black, yellow, green, blue or red, with a background of white or off-white. Toile has a cozy, French Country kind of look. Some prefer the entire room to be decorated in toile prints, while others like to use toile fabrics as accents.

Twill-- The specific way the yarns are woven in creating twill fabric gives it a diagonal or herringbone (zig zag) pattern. Twill weaves are soft and durable and are used often for slipcovers and upholstery.  Denim is a common twill weave.

Voile--  (pronounced VOYLE) woven from cotton, this fabric can have a texture ranging from coarse to fine. It is crisp and lightweight and is used for draperies when a light, sheer quality is desired.

This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper Group papers on July 22, 2006.

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All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna Jacoby.