Module 9
Textiles and Soft Furnishing
From linen-wrapped mummies in ancient Egypt to Silk Road trading, intricate Renaissance laces and the high tech fibre of NASA space suits, fabrics are woven throughout history, allowing humans to achieve extraordinary things and survive in the most unlikely and harsh of environments.
The earliest known remnants of cloth date back to the Palaeolithic era, some 32,000 years ago. These linen fibres were discovered by accident in a cave in Georgia in 2009, by a scientist searching for evidence of ancient plant life. Fast forward to today and we have hi-tech fabrics that can generate electricity and charge a mobile phone and NASA is developing next-generation suits that will enable deep space exploration.
From delicate silks to robust woollen weaves, textiles play a significant role in the Interior Design process – from upholstery to soft furnishings such as curtains, bed linen and cushions. They provide comfort, colour, texture and pattern and range from plain and practical weaves to super luxurious silks and linens costing many hundreds of dollars per metre.
A textile is basically anything that is woven, with glass and metals included in this definition. The only common exception is felt, where the fibres are pressed and rolled together. Textiles are universal and have been carbon dated to the 9th millennia BCE (before current era).
Throughout this vast length of time they have provided mankind with warmth, protection from draughts, decoration and cultural transmission (think of the Bayeux tapestry or nomadic weavings that tell a story).
With a vast array of textiles to choose from – from simple calico and cotton duck to rich velvets and elaborate, delicately coloured document prints, from filmy sheers to textured woollen weaves – there's a fabric for every budget, every desired effect and every interior application, even for use outdoors as well. Fabrics lend essential colour, richness, texture and comfort to an interior.
In this module, you'll learn how to use textiles as a decorative element and the arts of colour matching and pattern matching plus the use of textiles by function, whether for upholstery, window treatments, bed covers or cushions. The weight, or density, of a textile is a literal measurement and is of vital importance when considering its practical applications such as its insulating quality and draping quality. The denser the fabric, the better its folding, creasing and hanging qualities will be.
Fabrics should be selected with utmost care for their suitability to the intended application, so this module also covers issues such as natural versus synthetic fibres, abrasion resistance, fading resistance, crocking resistance and shrinkage as well as specialty fibres for certain applications and flammability ratings for textiles used in commercial settings, such as hotels and offices.
It additionally investigates the utilization of delicate decorations in furniture design to help students understand their effect in Interior Design schemes.