Textiles: Fashion for the Furnishings

Calling all fashionistas; time to think outside the box – of your closet, that is.  The world of fashion is coming home. New materials inspired by the runway paired with creative applications make it easy for a home to be an extension of one’s sense of style. Whether looking for bedroom basics or on the hunt for a crazy accent piece to give the living room that extra punch, the options in textiles are limitless.

There are several ways to incorporate textiles into the home environment. We have all added pillows to a sofa or casually tossed a knit throw across a chair, but new resources and methods are now available allowing textiles to create architecture and space. Textiles applied to a wall can be used to create a focal point; suspended from a ceiling, the entire scale of a room may transform; used outside, they can add livable space onto a home.

The question is: what’s your style?

Modern Classic
Gone are the days of furniture being the backdrop for the rest of the room. Layering interesting textures and patterns by use of upholstery, pillows and drapery is an easy way to create a dramatic effect. Textile manufacturers now work to create coordinating collections to make things easy for the consumer. 

Knoll Textiles recently launched a new line of luxury fabrics, Knoll LUXE. The collection was inspired by art, architecture and – you guessed it – fashion. The creative director of Knoll, Dorothy Cosonas, traveled the world not only for inspiration, but to find sources never before used in the company’s new high-end line. One pattern, Garden City, was directly inspired by the work of Oscar de la Renta, one of Dorothy’s fashion heroes. The line’s Jaipur pattern was derived from designs in an Indian tunic. Luxurious natural fibers such as mohair, cashmere, wool and cotton were combined to create a strong mix of color, texture and pattern. Innovative techniques like hand-guided embroidery further enhance the richness of the line. The Knoll LUXE collection currently consists of 10 patterns and more than 70 color ways. The line expands in the fall to include additional products designed by an up-and-coming duo of fashion designers.

Rocker Chic
Fashion as art is a well-known term. That philosophy has translated to the world of textiles in the form of flooring as art. Those looking for major impact with minimal effort should select HZL by Henzel, a modern rug line that rivals the work of Andy Warhol. The hand-tufted X-Rug Collection is inspired by a variety of media, motion graphics and fashion. Bold graphics collide with bright colors and diverse textures to create the ultimate art piece. All rugs in the line can be customized in color, pattern and size to suit the needs of a space. Taking it a step further, Calle Henzel and his team offer the X-Module system. Each rug component in the system comes in the form of an X, which can be interconnected with additional X components to create your own form in a room. Next up for the Henzel Studio is a limited edition line intended to be sold in galleries as a modern art collector’s piece. Walk on these at your own risk!

Natural Beauty
Green is the new black. The word textile takes on new dimensions when used in a less environmentally harmful way to divide space.  With eco-friendly products flooding the market, selecting environmentally conscious materials for a home is no longer enough. To truly ensure a commitment to living a greener life, look not only at the product but the sourcing and production processes utilized to create it. One company that has made a commitment to reducing their impact on the environment is 3Form, maker of eco-friendly translucent architectural materials. The company anticipates becoming a zero-waste facility by 2009. 

Taking it a step further, 3Form has entered the world of textiles. Winner of Most Innovative Product at Neocon 2008, Parametre by 3Form is an expandable 3-D panel system made of lightweight non-woven polyester. The flexibility of the material provides for multiple applications.  The panels are UV treated for use in both interior and exterior areas. Useful to divide spaces, as a window covering or perhaps an art piece reflecting shadow and light, Parametre panels come in three shapes and sizes and eight colors. Custom sizes are available as are hardware such as magnets, brackets and anchors for easy of installation in any environment.

Fashion Forward
Any great fashion designer considers use of scale and proportion, shadow and light, and texture and pattern when creating a collection. The same should be done when selecting textiles for a room. Wardrobes constantly evolve through space and time, shouldn’t living arrangements do the same?