Fabulous
FABRICS
Interior design may be a mostly visual art, but designers agree that texture — with its promise of tactile pleasure — is an essential element in every room
BY SALLY FRIEDMAN
Ah, touch. It’s a powerful sense, one that even infants experience and respond to. The tactile can change a feeling, establish a mood or alter it.
In our homes, it’s our fabrics that create a veritable feast for the fingertips.
The velvet-covered chair beckons…the deep pile chenille makes you want to run your fingers through it…the sassy, nubby plaid textured cotton on a stuffed armchair invites you to burrow in.
Fabric can’t be ignored, and shouldn’t be.
Philadelphia’s Herb Tapper has been a designer for nearly four decades.
And for that long, he has been, in his own words, “in love with fabric.”
“It’s the focal point of a room, the thing your eye goes to
automatically,” says
Tapper, who works with clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida.
“For me, fabric comes first. It sets the tone, the mood, the
look. You feel it before you even realize it.” Best of all, maintains Tapper, fabric can make a room playful and interesting without breaking the bank. Case in point: pillows.
“Every sofa deserves the punch of pillows, and there’s a place for them in almost every design style. The right throw pillows in the right fabrics can make you forget that a sofa that may have seen better days,”says Tapper.
This designer loves to mix fabrics – and with surprising results. He may blend fur with silk – but also with something unexpectedly nubby and textured. He may choose an informal
fabric in a formal setting just to create
interest. And Tapper generally prefers subtle fabrics with pile over leather in living rooms and family rooms. He feels it’s warmer and more inviting.
This season’s hot fabric: Sensuede
At Calico Corners in Abington, consumers sometimes arrive like lost souls. “Selecting fabric can feel overwhelming,” concedes sales associate Stephanie Costia, who understands that the sheer volume of choices can be bewildering.
But Costia also knows how to tame the tiger of choice.
“One of the key factors in choosing upholstery fabric, for example, is weight. That narrows down the field considerably,” said this expert, who
also notes that when it comes to upholstery fabric, what you don’t see –
the backing – can be as important as what you do see – the fabric
itself. “Any upholstery fabric needs a backing to make sure it doesn’t pucker or bag, which detracts from the look of any furniture piece.”
Retro looks and very strong colors are in.
When Dottie and Frank Giordano of Moorestown were furnishing their
vintage 1901 Georgian colonial, they wanted to keep the living room
elegant and formal, but also warm and inviting. It’s a delicate balance.
They did it successfully through the choice of fabric. “We fell in love
with the gray and soft apricot floral print of dogwood flowers and
branches,” said Dottie Giordano, a tireless volunteer and fabled
hostess.
That fabric was then reinforced, by pure serendipity, in several paintings the couple discovered in a Philadelphia gallery. It's coloration was identical to the upholstery fabric — and its motif: dogwoods. “We just got lucky,” said Giordano. “I
could live with this fabric around us forever.”
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Fabrics by jofabric.com
This Wild Psychedelic Flower print from J&O Fabrics is back in style and
will look hip anywhere!
The hottest fabric for this new season? It’s called “sensuede,” and it’s man-made and – trumpet blast – WASHABLE – with a mild dish detergent. It’s also
pricey at about $114 a yard.
The palette of fall fabrics is full of rich, warm tones, note Costia of
Calico Corners. “We’re seeing a new interest in deep chocolate brown, especially in a weave or in a tone-on-tone look. And there’s more interest in surprising colors like pure, bright pink and lime green as
people get bolder with their upholstery color choices.”
 Flower
power and other retro themes from the 70s and 80s are popular this year.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the fabric we can expect to find in the homes of today’s thirtysomethings. “There’s a huge move to retro looks and very strong colors and themes,” said Stan Safady, president of J&O Fabrics in Pennsauken, N.J., one of the largest fabric stores in the region. “Younger people seem to love looking back at the 1970’s and 1980’s, and it shows in the fabrics they’re choosing.”
Remember those wild geometrics? And flower power? And abstract, almost
surreal prints? They’re back. So are iconic themes like Hawaiian looks
and hot colors like pink, yellow and lime — sometimes all in one print.
Consumers can even drape themselves — or their windows — in that familiar “smiley face” theme. Or go for sailboats on their bedspreads,
curtains or pillows. Or opt for pop art.
“We’ve been in business here for 43 years,” said Safady, “and I can’t
remember a time when fabric was exploding like this. It’s like a youth
revolution, and while there are plenty of choices like traditional
tapestries and jacquards, the fun fabrics are definitely, absolutely on
the scene.”
Viva la fun!
Sally Friedman, a longtime lifestyle writer, lives in
Moorestown, N.J. Her articles have appeared in
Ladies’ Home Journal, Home Magazine and
Brides/Your New Home.
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