Fabrics play an essential role in decoration to create a certain atmosphere. Whether you prefer minimalistic or opulent, fabrics bring numerous technical characteristics that can improve the well-being in your home.
The main characteristics are:
INSULATION
Wool fabrics, for example, are ideal to insulate a room from extreme temperatures and can be used to insulate a wall or even the roof of a house. When used as a curtain or a sheer, fabrics can reflect, filter or block sunlight which may contribute to a more comfortable interior environment.
HYGROMETRY
Here again wool is the natural fiber that has the biggest ability to absorb humidity. Therefore, wool fabrics are ideal to regulate the atmosphere of a room. Less absorbing but not negligible are cotton fabrics.
ACOUSTIC
Textiles are perfect for optimizing acoustics. Wool is also among the top fiber for this purpose. You will want to choose a thicker texture to achieve the greatest sound-absorption qualities.
COMFORT
When it is about the tactile and comfort aspects, many people favor fabrics as an upholstery material. Leather in contrast can feel either too cold or too warm depending on the exposure and temperature in the room.
FILTER AND LIGHT BLOCKER
Besides indoor or outdoor blinds or shutters, fabrics are still one of the most commonly used materials when it comes to filtering light in a room. The effect can range from soft diffuse illumination, to a complete blackout of the space.
When nature can’t help anymore…
Fabrics made of natural fibers and produced in eco-friendly and fair-trade environment are absolutely noble materials. Unfortunately these are relatively delicate under certain conditions. They can shrink or stretch and don’t always like to be washed. They are most of the time highly sensitive to UV light (silk can break after some years and cotton or linen can fade or turn yellow). Natural fibers are also not so resistant to abrasion and most of the vegetal fibers can stain very easily.
The textile industry is continuously researching new techniques to improve the properties of natural fabrics and developing new “man-made” fabrics. These new fabrics potentially can improve resistance against abrasion, damage caused by UV light and improvement of acoustic and insulation properties.
CONCLUSION
As a private consumer I nearly always favor natural fabrics versus fabrics made of artificial fibers. Not only do they feel better but they are just more beautiful. When possible consider buying eco-friendly and fair-trade produced fabrics. Finally, as you change clothes and household items over the years consider what happens to all the fabrics that are thrown away. Wouldn’t it be good if they could disappear naturally and not add to the accumulation of trash that the world produces every day?
Many communities which also are now confronted with extreme environmental situations, choose more eco-friendly fabrics and recycled materials for a cleaner future and a better world.
Which type of fabric do you prefer?