When choosing a fabric for an interior, one should take into accountnot 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 service life and its own performance characteristics. Jackets are sewn from some fabrics, others are used for blouses. Interior fabrics are no exception. And in order to use them correctly, it doesn’t hurt to know a few important things about the quality of fabrics, their sizes and the features of caring for them. We asked the designer Victoria Vlasova to tell us about the most important thing you need to know about fabrics. Victoria Vlasova Victoria Vlasova - designer, architect, graduate of the school-studio "Details". Founder of her own bureau Victoria Vlasova Interiors. Among the implemented works of the bureau are interiors of private houses, apartments, restaurants and beauty salons. victoriavlasova.ru
Composition
The main characteristic of a fabric is its composition.Today, natural threads are used in the production of fabrics: vegetable cotton and linen and animal wool and silk, as well as artificial - viscose, and fully synthetic - polyamides and polypropylene. The more natural composition in the fabric, the higher it is in 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 graceful when draped and gives the interior an expensive and stylish look. Therefore, when choosing a fabric, the first thing to do is to pay attention to its composition - it must contain at least 60% of natural threads. However, when it comes to the design of public interiors - restaurants, cafes, hotels - the use of natural fabrics is strictly prohibited here due to fire safety requirements. For such interiors, there is a line of fabrics that are indistinguishable from natural textures, while complying with the design standards for public interiors. 
Strength test
The next parameter, which is important when choosing fabrics,is the result of the Martindale test (analogs: Wiesenbeck test, Stoll test) - a special technique for determining the level of wear resistance of a material. During testing, the fabric is rubbed against another material in a circle until a certain number of torn threads appear. The number of revolutions passed before abrasion determines the quality of the fabric. The lowest characteristic for curtain fabrics is 6,000 revolutions, for upholstery fabrics - at least 20,000 revolutions. These indicators should be taken into account when choosing fabrics for upholstery. 
Another important characteristic that determines the quality of the fabric is the seam strength - an indicator of how the fabric behaves when stretched. This is also important when choosing an upholstery fabric for the interior.
Dimensions
The following characteristic, which must be taken into accountand think through - the size. There are two key sizes: 1-1.40 meters and 2-2.83 meters. Complexities arise in projects with high ceilings - from three meters. If a single-toned fabric is chosen to decorate the window, there are no problems, and if we are talking about a fabric with a print, where the step can reach 70 centimeters, it is important not to make a mistake in the calculation of the fabric to match the pattern. 
Proper care
In addition to the fact that when choosing fabrics, it is important to understandtheir composition and characteristics, the customer must be warned about the peculiarities of fabric care. Curtains, pillows, furniture upholstery - all this can become unusable after the first incorrect cleaning. Pay attention to the fabric care rules indicated for each of them, because some are washable and others are not. Some are wet cleaned, while others must be immediately treated with special compounds at a certain temperature. Your client should be warned about all this. Considering 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 selected brand and its range. Photo: victoriavlasova.ru
