In the realm of interiors and furniture the word soft-furnishing is most common- implying upholstery material of that furniture product. It is essential to have an understanding of the application of fabrics for fabulously decorating interior decors.

Fabrics & their impact on the decoration of interior decor

The use of different fabric materials and their impact while decorating interior decor- is what one needs to understand. All fabrics have a corresponding effect on human mind. That is why when used carefully, textures and materials can create wonders in interior design. Designers will often play with a variety of fabrics to perfectly decorate the interior decors.

The Right Choice of fabrics for the fabulous decoration of interior decor

What color and textures of upholstered to pick is the most important decision. It is usually the biggest factor in fabric selection. But while the color and texture are essential important, other factors like fabric-durability are equally important. A normal purchase criteria would be-

• Does it look great?
• Is it fit for decorating the interior decors?
• Does it fit in with your scheme- textually, colour-wise, pattern wise?

Factors decisive in the selection of the correct fabrics for designing interiors

Other ‘real’ factors like – the environment, the wear-and -tear, functional aspect,  type of lighting are equally essential. The architecture concept dictates the kind of soft-furnishing that should be applied. Different spaces like the personal areas, public areas, official areas and commercial areas are bound to have their own distinguished style of soft-furnishings.

Why chose fabrics carefully while decorating the interiors

Fabrics when personified tend to display qualities. One should be well-versed with the fabric’s qualities – for instance woven patterns have larger life than printed ones, as do higher thread counts and tight weaves. In common terminology- denser fabrics last longer and are more suitable for decorating interior decors. Hence while buying upholstery, it is especially important to find a recognizable brand name that one can/may trust.

What to look for

Your fabric choice should be harmonious with the style and character of the piece it is covering. Some fabrics appear casual, while others look more formal. Also consider the scale of the pattern. It should be appropriate to the size of the furniture it is covering as well as the room size.

A large bold, pattern might work better in a large room. Make sure your pattern and color choice is one you can live with happily for a long time. Fabric, however, should live long enough to fulfill this expectation. Hence, another important quality should be the fade resistance. This factor is important if the decoration of interior decors of a room that gets plenty of sunlight or close to a window has to be done.

Classical & western decors

Aping the west, in the Indian context we too have started decorating interior decors while merging contemporary and colonial furniture/interior decor’ elements to existing classical interiors. In most cases, this is a decor’-mishap. Classical interiors should always be dressed with plain upholstery. At most it is soft-furnishings could be accented with patterns like floral and stripes. Contemporary-interiors’ straight-lines concept may turn boring after some time. Hence, the excitement can be added by using bright colours and diagonal patterns.

(About the writer: AnshuAnand is an ace furniture designer based in North India. You can reach her at innerform309@gmail.com)