Fabrics are one of the most important foundations of contemporary interior design, considering their impact on our emotions, visual, and tactile senses. A piece of architecture discovers a homely emotion when it is introduced with soft elements like fabrics. Fabrics are one of the mediums through which aesthetics flow towards your eyes and inspire a homely feel. Imagine walking into a house with your eyes running from the walls to the beds, then towards the curtains with your toes touching the rugs. There is no sense of a home without fabrics. There are so many varieties of fabrics with different, multiple, and mixed textures that have a certain place and purpose in a home. The right combination of fabrics, whether silk with cotton or jute with thin cotton can enhance your interiors beautifully. Different fabrics are made from different sources through various processes whether hand-made or machine-made. Considering all the hopeful feelings and visions you wish to design your home with, there is absolutely no limit to home fabric design.

Choosing Fabrics for Your Home

The fabric chosen for each portion of your room defines the depth and tone of the space. It also determines how comfortable your furniture would be or even how long-lasting your rugs can be. Choosing fabrics and designing your home can be more stressful when you have pets; in that case, do research on pet-friendly design ideas. If you have kids jumping on your beds and sofas, the fabric you choose should be from the durable category. Are you selecting fabrics by taking into account the hot weather in your hometown? Then, jute curtains can help keep your interiors cool during the summer. The point is, fabric selection isn’t just about the colours. There are certain factors to consider when choosing a fabric, like daily interaction, purpose, durability, texture, aesthetics, and finally the price.

Since different fabrics can come in many attractive colours and textures, you should always keep an eye out for their advantages and disadvantages. For example, fabrics blended with nylon and polyester have fewer chances of colour fading in the sunlight, ensuring good durability. Bedsheets and pillow covers can be changed every few years, but sofa and chair fabrics don’t have that easy advantage. Cleaning is indeed a mandatory routine in every home. Certain fabrics aren’t meant to be washed in a washing machine and can wear out quickly. Ask yourself questions like:

Do I prefer fabrics that can be thrown into the washing machine or fabrics with smooth texture that may need washing by hand?

Do I need to go for fabrics that can handle good sunlight (if you live in a sunny place)?

Which fabrics may be allergenic?

Factors that can help choose Fabrics

Let’s take a look at key ideas that can help you decide on the right fabric for your home. After all, it’s indeed a difficult task. And to get difficult tasks done, you need to get them down to the basics.

Play with Colours and Patterns

Always start with the colours. Colours evoke feelings, have psychological effects, and help set the mood in the room, supporting the wall aesthetics. As you or your guests walk into your home, what meets the fabric design first are the eyes. Ask yourself, What kind of mood do you wish your room to inspire? Give your room a good theme, starting with a fabric that has strong colour tones. Then add other fabrics with one or more lighter colour tones that act as supporting and balancing colour elements. Finally, it all collectively radiates vibrantly.

Patterns give personality, charm and can also hold the potential to increase the fabric’s elegance.

If you’re choosing fabric for a spot that receives a lot of sunlight, go for light colours. A lot of exposure to sunlight can cause fading in fabric colours. Light-coloured fabrics can replace fabrics that are more prone to fading due to sunlight, which is a good idea for soft furnishing. Smaller rooms can appear elegant in lighter toned fabrics; minimalist aesthetics are best here.

Touching Textures

The texture of a fabric is the feeling it gives you when it is touched. Imagine the feeling of a silk pillow against your face. It feels so soft, right? Fabrics with bad cleanability are difficult to clean if they encounter stains like paw prints, curry stains, or wine. So, if you have pets or babies, pick fabrics with textures that will let you wash the stains away easily.  Common maintenance ideas for your sofas and upholsteries involve using mild detergents and avoiding strong sunlight.

Functionality & Prices

Along with aesthetics and texture, functionality is also important. A good dining table fabric does not hold stains, which is a good example of functionality in fabrics. The price is the deciding factor here. The exciting news is that there are so many combinations of synthetic and innovative fabrics on the market that will mostly fit your budget and needs. If you are on a tight budget, go for synthetic fibres like polyester and nylon, which are also durable.

Types of Fabrics for Your Home

There are basically two types of fabrics; natural fabrics and synthetic fabrics. There is also a third type of fabric, which can have a wide variety of blends of natural and synthetic fabrics.

Natural fabrics are from natural sources like plants and animals. We have been weaving natural fabrics for thousands of years. Take cotton, silk, or wool, each one of them is processed differently. Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon are man-made from industrial and chemical processes.

Here are 7 popular fabrics that can enhance your interiors.

•Canvas

Canvas is a heavy-duty, durable, and tightly woven fabric made from either cotton or linen, or a blend of both. The canvas fabric has a sturdy nature, which makes it suitable for a variety of applications. Canvas woven out of cotton have good breathability and are also eco-friendly. It is often found in decor, upholstery, and cushion covers. They can be made water-resistant by combining them with synthetic fibres.

•Cotton

Cotton fibre is produced by cotton plants and has a spongy-soft nature. It is a natural fabric that absolutely has no synthetic elements. It is cultivated with fibres around the cotton seeds. These cultivated cotton fibres are spun into yarns. These yarns are woven into the t-shirts and bedsheets we see around today. Cotton is more durable than silk. The natural colour of cotton is mostly white or slightly yellowish. It absorbs water very quickly and also dries faster. Hence, it’s a good choice during the summer.

•Silk

Silk is a glowing textile and is branded as a luxurious textile. Silk is harvested from cocoons built by silkworms, which are found on mulberry trees. Silk also has an antibacterial property that makes it an excellent choice in medical areas. Apart from clothing and home furnishings, silk products include pillows and curtains.

•Leather

Leathers are fabrics that are made from the skin of animals, mainly cows and crocodiles. Popular in India, leather is one of the main materials for shoes, suitcases, belts, wallets, and designer bags. Leather upholsteries gain a vintage shade throughout time and can go through generations if taken proper care of. The durability factor also depends on the inner suspensions, frames and cushions.

•Linen

It’s a natural fabric made from the fibres of the flax plant, which is lightweight and soft. It is also a breathable and cool fabric. For people who are prone to allergies, linen is a good choice, as it is breathable and does not promote the buildup of moisture. It’s proven to be anti-bacterial. Linen sofas tend to be durable but can also wrinkle easily. It is best to place them in low-traffic areas.

•Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fibre developed through chemical processes from sources like petroleum and coal. It is known to be strong, water-resistant and non-breathable. When blended with cotton, it improves durability, and reduces the shrinkage and wrinkling properties of the fibre. It is highly resistant to extreme weather conditions, making it an ideal choice for outdoor applications.

•Wool

It is another natural fabric that is durable and thick. It can resist stains to a great extent, and it can be placed in high-traffic areas with kids and pets. Be careful not to get it wet, as it is difficult to get rid of the odour. Wool has a soft and cosy feel to it, which makes it an amazing fabric.

Carrying swatches from the shop to your home to see whether they resonate with the aesthetics of your interiors is a wise way to decide. As the leading contemporary interior design company in India, we showcase swatches of fabrics in our collection so our clients can experience the texture and choose the right fabrics for their dream homes. Do try adding layers to your sofas and fabricated areas, as it enhances their aesthetics. It also acts as an additional protective layer. When fabrics can be cleaned easily and carry functional properties, it’s always a great sign.

The artistic touch that fabrics can bring to an otherwise bland interior has no limits. If chosen with passion and placed strategically, the interiors of your home will radiate vibrant moods and beautiful aesthetics. Choosing fabrics for your home is indeed a confusing journey. Quoting Shah Rukh Khan, “It’s OK to be confused. Confusion is the route to all the clarity in the world.” So set out with curiosity to choose the perfect fabrics that will bring out the beauty of your home.