It's a Wrap - Fabric Feature

Black and white or bursts of  colour? Voluptuous botanicals or Moroccan-inspired geometrics? Handcrafted or metallic? Vintage velvet or all-weather versatility? It’s certainly a game of opposites in the material world this season. Whether your interior needs an injection of glamour, irony, practicality, whimsy, futuristic sheen, retro-chic or nana-geek, the local textile houses are positively heaving with fresh designs.

Aficionados will understand the sheer splendour and unadulterated pleasure in discovering that one perfect fabric after weeks, if not months, of searching. Once found you must possess it – you must obtain it at all costs. Other previously favoured fabrics − pale imitations by comparison – fade into insignificance. You may have just found it, yet you know instantly, with a realisation deeper than instinct, surer than logic, perhaps even truer than love, that your sofa, your room, your home will never be complete without this textile.


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Handcrafted or metallic
This season’s designs have been influenced by the past and the future. Days gone by are represented by drapery and upholstery fabrics that replicate handcrafted looks such as embroidery and hand-stitching. Jacquard weaves embellished with intricate lace relief patterns are highly decorative and best applied sparingly; imagine Grandma’s doilies and you get the picture. Some commentators say this nostalgia trend represents a desire for old-fashioned comfort and authenticity in a rapidly changing yet increasingly homogenous and technology-driven world.

Watch out for 21st century interpretations of patchwork quilts. Metallic fabrics also make a strong showing. Some European designers view this trend as the opportunity to bedazzle with layers of out-and-out bling, but in our more laidback part of the world subtlety is crucial. So the futuristic fabrics finding favour here are as simple as a foiled print on linen drapery or a metallic silver pinstripe on an otherwise plain textile. Both effects produce a luminous, rather than a glitzy, quality. There’s still the all-important play of light and texture without gratuitous glamour.

Voluptuous botanicals or Moroccan geometrics
Sanderson and William Morris are two English brands strongly involved in creating contemporary adaptations of old designs from their archives. Re-coloured, re-scaled and simplified, these oversized botanicals have a contemporary edge that translates well on modern pieces of furniture. And, in keeping with the European trend for fabrics with more sophisticated and complex construction, the outlines of the leaves, flowers and vines may be raised and sewn with contrasting thread to add textural interest.

Kasbah chic is all the rage too, with post-millennial adaptations of traditional Moroccan textile, tile and mosaic designs, especially in upholstery fabrics. Decorative and richly coloured, with a pleasing combination of curves and hard edges, this year’s geometric patterns are easy on the eye and readily mix with other patterns, including the large-scale botanicals. Moroccan geometric fabrics effectively perform the same role as trusty checks – alongside more flamboyant designs they add a note of restraint. When paired with plain fabrics they have an enlivening effect. They also inject an alluring touch of the spice-infused souk to our antipodean spaces.

Black and white or bursts of colour
Fabrics with black and white patterns are being used with greater confidence. It’s a dramatic trend at its best in more measured doses, ideally suited to cover a chair, an ottoman or a cushion rather than a sofa or other dominant piece of furniture. Bold shots of yellow, red, orange or peacock blue may be used to add interest and contrast to otherwise monochromatic schemes.

Watch out for autumnal colour palettes: vibrant greens, from olive to moss, often mixed with aubergine or grape for warmth; reds from cranberry to clear cherry; natural linen hues; greys, grey-browns and charcoal greys. The adventurous set will experiment with cobalt and various other exuberant shades of blue. Some forecasters are predicting we’ll also see hints of coral, chartreuse and acid green.

Vintage velvet or all-weather versatility
In a contemporary twist on a furnishing staple, velvet is now available with a distressed, rumbled and tumbled finish. The surface imperfections make this a forgiving and practical option, easily able to accommodate wear and tear in a busy family zone. Warm, inviting and quite unpretentious on its own, aged velvet can also be dressed up to create an elegance fit for the most formal of reception rooms or bedrooms.

Outdoor fabrics that can withstand wind and rain as well as harsh UV rays are no longer confined to pool-side. Available in an ever-expanding range of plains, stripes and patterns, they’ve entered the mainstream and are often used indoors as well. Picture a cheerful outdoor fabric covering a sun-drenched window seat – just the thing to bring the outside in.                                     

STOCKISTS
Atelier Textiles  0800 ATELIER
Bashford Antiques  (09) 361 5142
Charles Parsons www.charlesparsons.com
Decortex e Famiglia  (09) 303 3545
Hemptech  (09) 379 7773
James Dunlop  (09) 638 6005
Mokum  (09) 300 7900
Ngahuia Damerell  021 334 274
Rare Edition Designs  (03) 442 0106
Republic Home  (09) 361 1137
Salvage  (09) 630 4054
Seneca  (09) 309 6411
Textilia  (09) 302 3182
Unique Fabrics  (09) 306 1580
Warwick Fabrics  (09) 479 6466