When choosing fabric for the interior, you should considernot only your own preferences, but also the characteristics of the material - functionality, convenience and durability. How to choose the right fabric for a project - says designer Victoria Vlasova Each fabric has its own purpose, its own service life and its own performance characteristics. Some fabrics are used to sew jackets, others are used for blouses. Interior fabrics are no exception. And in order to use them correctly, it does not hurt to know a few important things about the quality of fabrics, their sizes and the peculiarities of caring for them. We asked designer Victoria Vlasova to tell us about the most important things you need to know about fabrics. Victoria Vlasova Victoria Vlasova is a designer, architect, graduate of the school-studio "Details". Founder of her own bureau Victoria Vlasova Interiors. Among the completed works of the bureau are the interiors of private houses, apartments, restaurants and beauty salons. victoriavlasova.ru
Compound
The main characteristic of a fabric is its composition.Today, natural threads are used in the production of fabrics: vegetable cotton and flax, animal wool and silk, as well as artificial ones - viscose, and completely synthetic ones - polyamides and polypropylenes. The more natural composition in the fabric, the higher its quality and cost. In practice, this is characterized by greater wear resistance, more pleasant to the touch textures, less susceptibility to fading in the sun. Therefore, natural fabrics are more functional. In addition, natural fabric is elegant when draped and gives the interior an expensive and stylish look. Therefore, when choosing a fabric, the first thing you should pay attention to is its composition - it should contain at least 60% natural threads. However, if we are talking about the design of public interiors - restaurants, cafes, hotels - the use of natural fabrics is strictly prohibited due to fire safety requirements. For such interiors, there is a special line of fabrics, in texture indistinguishable from natural ones, while complying with the standards for the design of public interiors.
Strength test
The next parameter that is important when choosing fabrics isis the result of the Martindale test (analogues: Wiesenbeck test, Stoll test) - a special method for determining the level of wear resistance of a material. During the testing process, the fabric is rubbed against another material in a circle until a certain number of torn threads appear. The number of revolutions passed before the moment of abrasion determines the quality of the fabric. The lowest characteristic for curtain fabrics is 6,000 revolutions, for upholstery - at least 20,000 revolutions. These indicators must be taken into account when choosing fabrics for furniture upholstery.
Another important characteristic that determinesquality of the fabric is the seam strength - an indicator of how the fabric behaves under tension. This is also important when choosing upholstery fabric for the interior.
Dimensions
The next characteristic that needs to betake into account and think through — size. There are two key sizes: 1–1.40 meters and 2–2.83 meters. Difficulties arise in projects with high ceilings — from three meters. If a single-color fabric is chosen for window decoration, there are no problems, but if we are talking about fabric with a print, where the step can reach 70 centimeters, it is important not to make a mistake in calculating the fabric to match the pattern.
Proper care
In addition to the fact that when choosing fabrics it is importantunderstand their composition and characteristics, the customer must also be warned about the peculiarities of fabric care. Curtains, pillows, furniture upholstery - all this can become unusable after the first improper cleaning. Pay attention to the fabric care rules specified for each of them, because some can be washed, while others cannot. Some are subject to wet cleaning, while others must be immediately treated with special compounds at a certain temperature. Your client must be warned about all this. Taking into account all these rules, it will not be difficult to create a beautiful image with the help of well-chosen textiles. The main thing is to thoroughly study the chosen brand and its range. Photo: victoriavlasova.ru
