Linwood Fabrics shares their top tips for working wonderful weaves into your home designs…
The true heroes of the textile industry, woven fabrics are both strong and versatile, making them highly adaptable to a vast array of purposes. From lightweight cotton fabric to durable twill weave fabrics, to elaborate designs showcasing intricate patterns and textures, woven fabrics can cater to many different needs in the realms of fashion and interiors.
Here, we delve into the world of woven fabrics to showcase the artistry and adaptability of these much-loved textiles, exploring their many colourful and textural iterations and offering advice on how to work them into interior schemes. Plus a few tips to ensure their longevity…
A woven fabric is a type of textile made by interlacing two sets of yarn or threads – known as the warp yarn and the weft yarn – at right angles to each other. The two threads create a structured, grid-like pattern that gives woven fabrics their inherent strength and durability. Unlike knit fabrics, which have a looped structure that gives them stretch, woven fabrics tend to be much more rigid, so while a knit fabric may be brilliant for clothing, it wouldn’t be as suited to, say, upholstery as woven fabrics are.
Woven fabrics are typically produced on looms and can vary in appearance depending on the choice of fibres and the weaving technique employed, meaning that there are many different types of woven fabrics. They are a staple of the fashion industry – think of the universal popularity of cotton fabric, and particularly denim fabric, for example – and woven fabrics are also used in industrial contexts, from protective equipment for firefighters to seatbelts for cars and aeroplanes. In the home, the scope of woven fabrics is vast: they are used for everything from accessories such as cushions and headboards to curtains and upholstery. Pictured here is Sashay in Teal from our new Tango Weaves II collection, a durable woven fabric that showcases a sophisticated abstract geometric pattern, perfect for a subtly contemporary window treatment, and equally fabulous for upholstery.
The beauty of monochromatic woven fabrics is that they will sit effortlessly in almost any interior, teaming just as well with a palette of neutrals as they will with a more colourful scheme. And don’t be deceived into thinking that a monochromatic woven fabric is going to be dull: the palette may be restrained but it is the nature of the weave itself that will bring character to the piece, from a nubbly tweed – ideal for upholstering a favourite armchair you want to curl up in with a book – to lightweight fabric woven to exude a sense of airiness, such as a breezy linen or an open weave cotton fabric. Shown here is Freya in Granite, a classic tweed-style fabric that brings lovely texture to the 1950s style sofa. The fabric is made from a wool blend that makes it incredibly robust, ensuring that it can withstand the wear and tear of a busy household whilst creating a smart, subtly tailored feel.
When it comes to selecting woven fabrics, your choice of colours really can affect the feel of a space, in turn influencing your mood. Vibrant hues are particularly effective: a pop of yellow, for example, can bring an uplifting feel to a room, while woven fabrics in lively green hues nod to the natural world and lend a sense of optimism to a scheme. Bold blues are good for creating energy and confidence, or, for a sense of drama, try a punchy red – it is fantastic for creating a sense of energy, making it a good choice for sociable spaces. If you are nervous about using bold colours in a scheme, start small: cushions in different types of woven fabrics in vibrant hues may be all the room needs, as well as a few choice accessories such as lampshades or plant pots in similar hues. A small piece of furniture such as an occasional chair, a bench or a footstool is another good way to introduce a punchy weave, and again you can tie it in with accessories throughout the space. Here, a neat side chair is covered in Bolero in Parakeet which, like the cushions, is from our Tango Weaves collection. Each design has a distinctively contemporary edge, perfect for bringing modern glamour and texture to a space.
Woven fabrics in earthy tones are wonderful for creating a grounded feel and a sense of calm within a home. Natural fibres are the perfect choice, complementing earthy hues whilst adding all-important texture to the space. Linen is one of the most sustainable types of woven fabrics, as it is made from the hardy flax plant which can grow in poor soil and requires little more than rainwater to thrive. Linen woven fabrics are also hardwearing, naturally breathable and entirely biodegradable, making them an ideal choice for eco-conscious homes that don’t want to compromise on style. Our Elba range in pure linen includes a palette of rich, earthy neutrals, and we also offer a number of textural woven fabrics that combine linen with manmade fibres for added strength and durability: Orta is a tumbled, heavyweight linen blend weave that comes in 16 soft, muted shades and features natural linen slubs for added character, while our Serrano collection includes a textural plain weave fabric called Collodi, a linen-blend design that comes in three versatile neutrals.
You really can’t go wrong with a woven fabric in a classic stripe. Bringing a sense of tailoring to a room, striped woven fabrics are an enduring favourite, teaming effortlessly with all manner of designs, from textural plain weave fabrics to bold prints. A tone-on-tone stripe is a particularly useful way to bring structure to a piece of upholstery without overpowering it, this Bressay Stripe in Duart being a case in point. The stripe lends a pulled-together look to the simple armchair, while the soft, neutral shades make it a highly adaptable piece. The fabric is made from pure Shetland wool, a cosy option that is also incredibly durable.
The terms checks and plaids are often interchanged but in fact they are distinctly different: checks are formed from two colours and feature the same stripe pattern in the warp and the weft threads, while plaids feature more than two colours and more variety in their layouts. Sometimes the warp and the weft threads of a plaid don’t feature the same pattern, and so they are not symmetrical. And if you are wondering where tartans come in, these are types of plaid associated with specific colourways for different Scottish clans. The appeal of both checks and plaids no doubt lies in the way in which they can bring a sense of familiarity to a scheme, making them a choice that designers return to again and again. Witness how this Beachcomber wool plaid in Stroma brings warmth to a simple armchair, with its tactile feel and palette of natural colours.
Just as herringbone is favoured by fashion designers for bringing sophistication to tailored pieces, so it is beloved in the interiors world for lending a chic touch to a room. The neat geometric zig zag pattern is highly versatile: it can be used to subtly enliven a scheme, for example, or it can serve to temper an exuberant print. The scale of the herringbone will usually inform its role in a room: a small-scale herringbone can be incredibly subtle, almost reading as a plain-woven fabric from a distance, while a large-scale version is invariably punchier. Here, the distinctive pattern of our Zeus herringbone woven fabric in Delft helps to break up the large expanse of the sofa whilst giving it a lively, dynamic touch.
A twill weave is a distinctive type of woven fabric characterised by its diagonal rib pattern, which is created by an offset in the warp threads. Twill woven fabric is renowned for its durability and it hides stains well, making it popular in both fashion – the best known twill weave being denim – and home decor. Twill woven fabric tends to be a very forgiving choice for upholstery, as it is not only incredibly durable, but it also doesn’t wrinkle or crease. This Livorno design is a robust twill weave in a linen mix, which lends itself well to upholstery or heavy curtaining. It comes in Portland, a go-with-anything neutral.
A woven fabric in a satin finish is guaranteed to bring a touch of old-school glamour to a scheme. Perhaps the most beloved of satin weaves is the damask, a symmetrical, mirror-image foliate design where the monochrome pattern is picked out with different warp and weft threads. The organic patterns reference nature while the mix of matt and shiny threads is supremely elegant. Our Miletto damask is woven from a linen and viscose yarns to create a design that is at once contemporary yet timeless. A beautiful fabric for showcasing upholstery, it also looks fabulous made into curtains and cushions – and we love to see it teamed with contrasting textures such as tactile wools or plush velvets.
Jacquard is another type of timeless weave that lends understated elegance to a room scheme. The name comes from the special loom used to create these fabrics, invented by French textile artisan Joseph-Marie Jacquard in 1804; rather like damasks, it creates raised motifs that give these textiles their inherent elegance. This glorious Pisqu design is a jacquard velvet, a rich, tactile fabric inspired by a Peruvian appliqué textile. As demonstrated here, it lends itself beautifully to upholstery and is equally wonderful for thick, indulgent curtains.
The joy of most types of woven fabrics is that they are incredibly durable, meaning that with a little care and attention, they will last for years to come. It is important to always check the care label of your woven fabric carefully: some are machine washable at a low temperature while many, such as our Hartland textural weaves pictured, are dry clean only, meaning that it is best to avoid spot cleaning as this could permanently damage the fabric. Some types of woven fabrics are inherently stain resistant or they come with a stain repellent finish, making it possible to mop up spills using a soft, lint-free cloth or paper towel. Leave it on the spot until as much liquid is absorbed as possible, but if the stain remains visible, we advise approaching an expert. As with any fabric, woven fabrics benefit from regular maintenance to avoid them becoming dull and lack-lustre: use the upholstery brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to remove dust from curtains as well as upholstery pieces such as sofas, armchairs and headboards, and regularly plump cushions to remove dust and redistribute the fillings. From time to time, it is advisable to undertake a professional deep clean of your woven fabrics, and when you do this, remember to have all the pieces in the same fabric cleaned in one go, to ensure a consistent colour balance.
We hope we have shown that the possibilities of woven fabrics within the home really are endless, offering the chance to bring personality and character to a scheme. From the timelessness of stripes, checks and herringbones to the elegance of complex weaves such as jacquards and satin, to the punchiness of colourful woven fabrics, the choices are vast, ensuring there is a woven fabric for every aesthetic. And not forgetting the stalwarts such as sturdy twills, versatile monochrome weaves and natural fibre weaves in earthy tones – effortless designs that are perfect for creating calming interiors or for tempering bolder choices within a dynamic scheme. Choose your woven fabrics well – and show them a little care along the way – and you will be enjoying them for years to come.
About Linwood
Our Hampshire-based family business puts excellence at the heart of everything we do. We straddle the worlds of creativity and innovation to produce distinctive collections of fabrics, wallpapers and cushions that are bursting with fresh ideas, while retaining the quality and artistry we are renowned for.
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Amidst threads that intertwine to recount stories and materials of new dimensional suggestions, Dedar presents an all-embracing collection, in which yarn is the protagonist with its unique and unrepeatable irregularities. An impassioned focus on natural fibres reveals a candour and tactile charm that emanates refinement. Silk, linen, and raffia take centre stage in the Plain Classics, Texturologie and Transparencies collections, in which fabric assumes unique forms and features. The Chatwin plain weave expresses the wild side of tussah silk, enhanced by irregular streaks. Gabor dresses up in matka silk with its bulky yarns and soft flexuous drape.
A progenitor of the linen family is Chintz Nature, a glazed chintz fabric that evokes suggestions of the natural environment. Originally produced in India and adopted in Europe in the XVII century, chintz - term deriving from the Hindi word “chint”, meaning “variegated” - was usually accompanied by multicoloured floral motifs. Dedar celebrates its relevance with a well-balanced intermingling of linen and light, in an expression of elegant nonchalance and spontaneity. The embrace between a bulky weft of technical raffia and a linen warp in Didgeridoo provokes a fascinating encounter that confers depth of colour, fruit of a double dyeing process.
In a play of material and chromatic associations, the collection applies fabric to vertical surfaces with its coordinated wallcoverings to create an enveloping sense of continuity, an all-over visual effect, in a consistent configuration and colour philosophy. Hence the ancient tradition of fabric wallcovering coordinated with curtains and upholstery is reinterpreted in a contemporary key: a revival of the camouflage effect typical of the 19th century furnishing style.
In the new fabric collection, the union between light and matter finds inspiration to evolve in the art of jewellery-making which, with faultless precision, produces exceptional artifacts. The masterly use of yarn brings fabric to life in plays of light and transparency, regaling a touch of preciousness that is always artfully calibrated.
Poised between gravitas and fluidity, Argento Vivo’s elegant chequerboard of metallic yarn recalls experimental fashion garments of the sixties. Lightness and movement recount the informal elegance of Wide Linen Ulisse, while a delicate embroidery on linen traces an evocative abstract landscape of Yukiguni. In a subtle contrast of matt and lustrous effects, an alternate play of different weaves defines Olympia, a bulky linen jacquard with a dual personality, depending on which side of the fabric is used.
Plain Classics - Texturologie - Wallcoverings Silk, linen, and raffia, three natural fibres interpreted in proposals that reveal all the force of expression and contemporary elegance of Dedar fabrics. This collection recalls the evocative power of natural yarns: timeless fibres of superb quality that constitute the natural habitat of Dedar research and creativity.
Pronounced texturality and the refined yet assertive personality of wild silk and raffia are extended to walls. Yarn plays a protagonist role with its unique and ever varying irregularities. From raffia weaves to hand-spun silk woven on artisanal looms, the collection evokes a wide spectrum of visual and tactile sensations. A coordinated fabric is available for each wallcovering to create an enveloping sense of continuity, in a play of material and chromatic associations. Hence the ancient tradition of fabric wallcovering coordinated with curtains and upholstery is revived but also transformed, to generate a collection whose mood is decidedly contemporary. These wallcoverings surmount the restrictions formerly associated with the task of hanging wallcoverings, thanks to a practical adhesive non-woven fabric backing, while a reduced number of surface joints is enabled by a width comprised in the range of 120-140 centimetres.
Chatwin - Tussah Silk Plain Weave A plain weave of pure tussah silk, spun and woven by hand to put the accent on the beauty and spontaneity typical of artisanal workmanship. Its yarns and weave create a streaky fabric with pronounced knots and slubs, in which irregularity is an intrinsic part of the product’s preciousness. Ideal for curtain applications. Also available backed for wallcovering applications.
Chatwin Wall - Tussah Silk Wallcovering A wallcovering in pure tussah silk that is spun and woven by hand to put the accent on the beauty and spontaneity typical of artisanal workmanship. The choice of yarns and weave creates a fabric rich in streaks, knots and slubs, in which irregularity of weave and colour is an intrinsic part of this product’s precious nature. Coordinated fabric for curtains also available.
Gabor - Matka Silk Plain Weave A pure matka silk plain weave of bulky irregular yarns is hand woven on artisanal looms. Textural in appearance, soft and drapey when hung, this fabric is ideal for curtain-making. Also available backed for wallcovering applications in a selection of colours.
Gabor Wall - Matka Silk Wallcovering With Water-Repellent Treatment A wallcovering in pure matka silk of bulky irregular yarn woven on artisanal looms. With its textural look and subtle luminosity, it brings all the beauty and exuberance of wild silk to walls. Wallcovering with water-repellent treatment for ease of maintenance. Coordinating fabric for curtains also available.
Chintz Nature - Linen Chintz A pure linen chintz with a glazed effect evidences a lustre that is somewhat unusual for linen. The refined and harmonious luminosity evokes reflections of nature. Flowing, drapey and soft to the touch, this fabric is ideal for curtain-making or decorative applications. Also available in the version of a coordinated wallcovering.
Chintz Nature Wall - Linen Chintz Wallcovering A wallcovering in pure linen chintz with a glazed effect evidences a lustre that is unusual for linen. The refined and harmonious luminosity of this wallcovering evokes reflections of nature that reverberate subtly on wall surfaces. Coordinating fabric for curtains also available.
Didgeridoo - Technical Raffia A bulky weft of technical raffia is interlaced with a linen warp in a hardwearing textural canvas weave, fruit of artisanal workmanship. The weft yarn evokes the natural look and typical hand-feel of raffia weaves, while the double dyeing process regales depth of colour. Ideal for seating upholstery, this article is also available backed for wallcovering applications in the same colour range.
Didgeridoo Wall - Technical Raffia Wallcovering With Water-Repellent Treatment A weft in technical raffia is interlaced with a linen warp to create a textural canvas weave. Thanks to its artisanal workmanship, Didgeridoo Wall regales the look and typical hand-feel of the finest natural raffia weaves to the walls, while the double dyeing process confers depth of colour. Wallcovering with water repellent treatment for ease of maintenance. Coordinating fabric for upholstery also available.
Transparencies Luminosity and transparency accompany the harmonious equilibrium of Dedar fabrics, animated by refined metallic yarns that interplay with the sparkle of fibres and reflections of light. Natural fibres either intermingle spontaneously with a silver thread or hang in solitary splendour, in a crystalline luminescence embellished by meticulously worked embroidery, textural weaves or melange-effect finishes.
Argento Vivo - Metallic Crochet An elaborate metallic crochet shapes a precious composition of tesserae thanks to a refined textile savoir-faire. The architectural structure and the assertive yet elegant presence of an extremely fine silvery yarn evokes the experimental research on avant-garde garments of the sixties. Geometric precision encounters the movement of yarn and the softness of its weave in a fascinating balance poised between gravitas and fluidity.
Yukiguni - Refined Embroidery On Linen A lightweight linen sheer is embellished by an extremely refined embroidery depicting an abstract landscape. Meticulous workmanship and a hazy motif define the charmingly elegant personality of this sheer, making it an ideal solution for lightweight curtains.
Olympia - Double-Face Linen Jacquard A play of alternating weave patterns defines a bulky and irregular linen jacquard. An artful use of yarn enables the creation of a subtle contrast between lustrous and matt effects. This reversible fabric presents a two-sided personality.
Wide Linen Ulisse - Stonewashed Linen In Double Width A light and billowy pure linen sheer of informal elegance is enlivened by mélange streaks fruit of a “stonewashed” finish that confers movement and unique depth to its colour. Extra-wide, with a soft hand-feel and a flowing, flexuous drape, this fabric offers an ideal curtain solution.
About Dedar
Founded in 1976, Dedar is a family-run fabric house located close to Como, in the heart of a manufacturing district. Dedar experiments and innovates to attain product perfection through an ongoing dialogue with those craftsmen and textile specialists who are most familiar with the techniques employed in the production of excellent fabrics. Characterized by seductive colour palettes and unexpected patterns, Dedar’s fabrics combine precious yarns with research into fiber technology to offer various solutions for curtains, upholstery and wallcovering of timeless elegance.
To mark the second chapter of the “Re-enchanting Villa Medici” project, the historic rooms of the French Academy in Rome have been re-imagined and rearranged by the French-Iranian designer India Mahdavi.
Frequented by popes, princes, poets and artists, Villa Medici dominates the capital from the Pincio Hill with the austere elegance of its fortress-like façade.
Embracing the requirements of modernity, the rebirth of Villa Medici highlights all of its surrounding beauty and history, in the name of continuity with a glorious past.
India Mahdavi plays with geometric forms and bright colours, which give a sense of intimate warmth to the rooms while mingling in a triumph of styles and surprising colour combinations.
Dedar fabrics contribute to renewing the spirit of the rooms, where elements with a contemporary flair dialogue with the villa's heritage.
Discovered in the archives of Mobilier national, the sofas designed by Jean-Albert Lesage in the Lili Boulanger salon are adorned by Tabularasa cotton satin in the shade of Giallo bombo.
Dedar has also contributed to the development of the print defined by an octagonal decorative motif, used on the four-poster bed in the Galileo Room.
Former fashion editor Sophie Doherty dressed the interiors of her Georgian family home with glorious Linwood fabrics that reflect the character of both the house and its surroundings.
It took almost a decade of renovating her beautiful Georgian house before Sophie Doherty could turn her attention to what for her was by far the most appealing part of the project: ‘The soft furnishings were the really exciting bit because I was so ready to do something really creative after project managing the renovation,’ recounts the former Senior Fashion Editor of Wallpaper magazine. She continues, ‘I absolutely poured my heart and soul into choosing the designs. This house has a lot of windows and the ceilings are very high, so I knew I could go to town with colours and patterns.’
‘Most of the pieces in this room, including the coronet are French, and so I liked the fact that the floral stripe is based on an archive French design,’ comments Sophie.
‘If you are likely to see the lining, why have it plain white?’ she opines.
‘I love the fact that this traditional design has been given a modern update with a stripe featuring a decorative scalloped edge,’ notes Sophie.
‘I was sitting on the bed surrounded by fabric samples and all I could see from the window was the bright blue sky and the vivid green of the garden and this print captured that colour palette perfectly,’ says Sophie.
‘My husband uses the office the most and he says he feels like he is sitting in the canopy of a forest, which is exactly what I wanted,’ Sophie explains.
About The Linwood Fabric Company Ltd
Inspired by fragments of cloth found on their travels, Linwood’s design studio has created a new collection of prints that retain the handcrafted characteristics of block printing.
Join Linwood on a journey across the ancient silk routes to discover the decorative prints of Uzbekistan. Since the 11th century communities of skilled artisans – weavers, wood carvers and dyers – have produced colourful block printed fabrics adorned with ornamental floral motifs.
Presented on tumbled linen for a relaxed feel, the five homely designs enjoy a considered palette, from classic red and black to earthy blues and greens.
Charming and mysterious, Bibi confidently draws on the past to create a collection for today.
Dedar's 2023 collection explores the nuances that emerge when colour is asked to lower its presence discreetly. At the same time, it celebrates variety through themes of the brand's ongoing research, which are either being introduced or renewed this year and are inspired by a love of materials, sensorial aspects, and great art.
The first of these themes, the new White Writings family, unleashes the countless possibilities of white: a unique colour that contains and embodies all others and because it lets in the light – a lesson imparted by stratifications of symbolisms passed down to us over thousands of years. Not an indistinct white: it is textural and stands out against a background of striations, unexpected nuanced effects, and expressive strokes. The fibres are interwoven in an arpeggio that multiplies dimensions and sensations; the indispensable ingredient of this process is outstanding textile know-how.
Colour comes back strongly as one of the protagonists of this year's collection by Dedar. It plays a vital role in the informed yet passionate colour pairings of Playful Stripes, a deliberate plunge into the game with references to the fashion accessories world. Similarly, Plain Classics affirms the relevance of waves and textures through a range of refined and delicate shades in a composition of fibres, including a rare and highly precious baby alpaca wool. Also, in Contemporary Archives, colour often appears as a tool of a distinct and assertive graphic stroke. However, more frequently, it is a driver of emotion, luminosity, or elegance worthy of being in the most scintillating jeweler's shop.
This year, Dedar ventures into the labyrinth of the Archives to conduct far-reaching research that toes the line between a form of artistic expression associated with the historical period of Abstraction and the sensations recalling nature or non-European cultures. Assertive signs, often evidenced by the graphic use of colour, stem from lines that may be either softly curved or precisely geometric. With their invitingly soft hand feel, these fabrics owe much to the presence of velvet, flanked by satins and enlivened by jacquard weaves.
Playful, but with the air and bearing of a new classic. The bold stripe has already been creatively developed by Dedar in various other collections, constantly evolving interpretations and being a textile archetype.
Combinations of lines, colours, and details represent a challenge for all those wishing to play and dare to respond to the provocation. The simplicity of materials contrasts with a vivid chromatic impact. You can’t help imagining these playful stripes used in interiors that give the textile element the significance it deserves.
A plunge into luster and abstraction, an immersion in white that takes us along a trail of discovery. The protagonist is a classic of interior decor and high fashion but also “eternally misunderstood” by those who would deny it the status of being an actual colour. Instead, Dedar celebrates white as a colour in its own right, an expression of luminosity.
White Writings is a collection imbued with the energy of the dawning light, but this is undoubtedly no indistinct glare: this is a faceted and textural white. Sensorial references range from plaster and stuccowork to the irregularities of stone and wood to form delicate shadows and nuances. The five fabrics of 2023 — dressed in all shades of white and created with a nod to the various themes of Abstract Art – pursue artistic research along the same lines as that of Magnolia last year.
This is a textile family poised between couture, painting, and sculpture. In sync with the conceptual research of an Arp or a Mondrian in some cases, a Manzoni or a Dorazio in others, the expression of each fabric reflects the nature of the yarn or the technique. The fibres and processes are the elements that leave their mark. Embroideries, jacquards, and graphic strokes break loose from detail in a great abstract narration endowed with the urgency and propulsion of Art.
The eternal return: the appointment with plains in the broadest sense of the term is always one of the stops on the exploratory Grand Tour undertaken by Dedar, intent on touching on the primary themes of the textile culture.
This year’s research on plain fabrics is particularly attentive to the features of the materials, from the close encounter with a yarn that is both noble and highly seductive, alpaca wool, to the ground-breaking technical achievement of fibres that flank visual and tactile appeal with extreme practicality and freedom of use.
Two new fire-retardant shantung fabrics in extra width combine the charm of silky iridescence with functionality. A generous offering of new colours renews some of the best-loved fabric ranges, including merino wool satins and linen basket weaves.
Cover image: TIGER BEAT - Jacquard velvet with tiger coat, col. 4 Papaya
Photography by Ilaria Orsini
About DEDAR
This month's product news highights from SBID members explores the latest luxurious textures and captivating prints, with new smart technologies for the bathroom and functional design solutions for the workspace; from ergonomic office chairs to intelligent toilet technology.
New for 2021, Kinesit Met is a sophisticated evolution of the Kinesit office chair, now available in a refreshed palette. Created as Arper’s first regulatory-compliant office chair, Kinesit Met is available with metallic finished armrests and in new, rich and nuanced materials, colors, and textures. Inspired by the contemporary moment and the evolution in our workplaces and spaces, Kinesit Met is designed for how (and where) we work today – softer, adaptable, and from anywhere. This new palette selection adds refinement and style to imbedded soft technology, marrying performance and style in a sleek silhouette. Design has come home.
Light and minimal in design, Kinesit Met features built-in mechanisms hidden discreetly under the seat. An invisible, adjustable lumbar support is concealed within the backrest’s thin frame to give additional flexibility and comfort. Kinesit Met is available in a low or medium back option customisable in a range of textured and shaded fabric options. Aluminum armrests and base are available in metallic finish options of copper, light grey and anthracite.
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The rimless, wall hung Veil WC by international bathroom brand, Kohler integrates motion-activated hands free opening, closing and flushing for a complete sanitary experience. For a personalised user experience, a stainless steel cleansing wand adjusts the water spray temperature, shape and position; whilst a UV light and electrolysed water sanitises the wand’s surfaces providing a fully-integrated self-clean system.
The intelligent Veil toilet incorporates a warm glow nightlight and a heated seat that is made from antibacterial materials. Front and rear wash modes and a warm air-drying system also benefit from adjustable temperature settings to ensure a comfortable experience. With an ergonomic seat design to ensure complete comfort, Veil’s seamless finish offers a luxurious yet practical addition to any high-end bathroom.
Sleek woodgrains are combined with a subtle overprint. LACEWOOD takes inspiration from classic oak, ash or cedar. Smooth and unadorned Lacewood provides a seamless pared-down backdrop, while LACEWOOD GEO features geometric lines in matt and burnished metallic inks to give a contemporary twist with biophilic pattern.
Driftwood white and the warmth of oak are offered alongside the rich, intense hues of mahogany and ebony. Combined with classic woodgrain and a simple structured overprint, Tektura creates a visual connection to the patterns, colours and textures found in nature.
A deep viscose pile, super soft feel and vivid colours elevates these printed velvets to the pinnacle of luxury. The nine designs, which celebrate fantastical dreamscapes, are enlivened with a bold, contemporary colour palette with the occasional glint of glamorous metallic. This is Linwood’s premium printed velvet collection… not only is it sumptuous in look and feel, it’s also durable and water repellent.
From capturing the serene beauty of an ornamental garden which are perfectly expressed in scenic designs, to recreating the charm of the 1920s with whimsical printed velvet fabrics to celebrate the mystery and magic of the Orient; this exuberant collection of patterns offers a versatile choice for any kinf of upholstery.
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We spend about a third of our lives asleep. According to the Mental Health Foundation, it is as important to our bodies as eating, drinking and breathing, and is vital for maintaining good mental and physical health.
The bedroom is also one of the most important rooms of the home in feng shui philosophy. By incorporating certain elements into bedroom spaces, you can create harmony and comfort which can lead to improved wellbeing, better sleep and increased relaxation. Yves Delorme, specialists in luxury home linens and bedding, share key decoration tips for designers to maximise bedroom designs for the comfort and wellbeing of clients.
Choice of Bedlinen
To get the perfect bedding, first decide whether non-allergic filling is needed, then consider which tog rating is right for your client and appropriate for the time of the year. While thread count is a consideration, there are other important features to measure comfort, quality and value: the type of cotton, the feel of the fabric, and the nature of the finishing. The thread count of “standard” cotton or muslin is around 150; good-quality sheets start at 180-thread count; and a count of 200 and higher is considered ‘percale’.
Thread count also has to do with the yarn construction and quality of the yarn. With finer threads, like those produced with Egyptian cotton, more can be woven into each square inch, producing a finer, softer, more flexible fabric.
Choosing the right size duvet:
If the client in prone to toss and turn in their sleep, choose an overhang of 30-40 centimetres!
Bed Width (cm)
Recommended Duvet Size (cm)
Smells and Relaxation
Good interior design should appeal to all the senses: vision, hearing, touch and smell. Smell tends to be the most powerful link to emotions and feelings so should not be overlooked when it comes to the bedroom!
Whether you opt for fragrances in the form of candles, pillow mist, or room sprays, these soothing smells are proven to promote rest and relaxation. Another trick is to spray perfume on crystals; amethyst is a widely known as the sleep crystal - it provides a soothing and serene frequency. Perfect for placement on a bedside table!
According to feng shui, you should incorporate five elements in a home:
Fire elements are often considered the most powerful and can be represented through candles, or by incorporating the colour red!
Earth gives a sense of security and grounding. For this, using textiles in a granite or earthy colours, adding rock features, thick carpet and antique pottery can help to bring the earth element indoors.
Metal stimulates mental strength and intellectual abilities, making it easier to focus and think clearly; try incorporating metal elements with sculptures or bed frames for example.
Water helps promote calm energies in a room. Reflect this with additions like aquariums, water features, free-form artwork, or fluid glass statues.
Wood helps to develop creative energies such as inspiration, motivation and passion. This can be represented through wooden floors and furniture, as well as plants or trees.
Avoid Sharp Edges
Soften your space by adding more natural decor like plants, lamps, sculptures and other smooth edges to provide balance and fluidity.
Window Coverage
Daylight can disrupt sleep and influence our biological clock. Adding darker drapes or curtains along both sides of the window can create a cosier feel and keep light from the outside blocked out.
Minimise Electronics
EMFs are electric and magnetic fields created by electronic devices. They can be harmful and affect wellbeing, including influencing quality of sleep. Keep your smartphone at least three feet from where you rest your head.
Organise Your Bookshelf
Clutter is a low, stagnant and confusing energy that drains our energy, so organisation can make or break a room’s feng shui. Organise your books based on colour and weight - placing the heavier books at the bottom of the book case.
Adding a Headboard
A headboard represents stability and support in your life - adding a sturdy headboard to your bed creates a more secure feeling over a bare wall.
Bring Down Tall Ceilings
With a larger spaces, we can feel less in control of surroundings, causing us to sleep on high alert rather than fully relaxed. If you want to bring down the height, there are a few tactics like painting the ceiling a darker colour or adding visual interest to the lower half of the room with pillows, area rugs or vases. You can also hang crystals or use low hanging lights!
Keep Work Out
This is designed to be a restful space so if possible, resist the urge to convert some of this space into a small home office. Work associated items like laptops and phones create a distracting environment, making it more difficult to swtich off, de-stress and relax.
About the Author
SBID Accredited Industry Partner, Yves Delorme shares its passion for luxury home linens since 1845, with a sophisticated collection of quality bed and bath linens made of the finest Egyptian Cotton.
This article was written by Prune Allain des Beauvais, Head of Marketing at Yves Delorme.
If you'd like to become SBID Accredited, click here to find out more.
As designers, it's important to maintain motivation and keep finding the inspiration to fuel your fire during these uncertain times. This month's edition of the Interior Edit brings you the latest product news and interior product inspirations from SBID Accredited Industry Partners. Featuring a colourful collection of printed velvet fabrics, an inspired and aesthetic range of electrical fittings, as well as a new striking leather look for luxury seating.
Modern lightness meets the de Sede heritage with new DS-531 range
DS-531 combines the requisite modern lightness with the heritage of de Sede. This versatile family of seats in an unmistakable patchwork design combines everything that sets our craftsmanship apart: tradition and innovation, creativity and experience, passion and high-tech. This passion gives rise to comfortable, cozy seating options, with flowing shapes and a striking leather look that will blend in everywhere.
With a lowered sitting position and modern, stitched leather design, the sweeping frame construction and wooden supporting base for the seat cushions are the simple structural elements of these contemporary sculptures. They are available both as three-seater and as a cozy armchair with head section and stool.
Focus SB launches Kelly Hoppen's debut electrical accessories collection
Focus SB launched an exquisite collection of luxury ‘wall jewellery’ in collaboration with the multi-award-winning designer, Kelly Hoppen MBE. Focus SB’s MD, Gary Stevens says: “From the moment I first met with Kelly it was like a breath of fresh air and she was bursting with new ideas for what is a relatively conservative and mature product sector.”
This is the first collection of electrical accessories designed by Kelly Hoppen MBE who comments: “Interior fittings such as light switches and plug sockets are often not considered until the end of a project, but these details can add an extra touch and shouldn’t be overlooked. The world of electrical wiring accessories is generally very conservative, but I wanted to create something that would very much be part of the overall design, introducing jewellery-like details and alternative finishes. This collaboration with Focus SB introduces a new aesthetic to electrical fittings in a way we haven’t previously seen.”
Linwood Fabric introduces its new collection of printed velvet fabrics
New for Spring/Summer 20, Omega Prints II by Linwood Fabric is an alluring collection of printed velvet fabrics. This beautiful addition to our much loved Omega and Omega Prints ranges is presented in an enticing palette of fresh pastels and bold primary colours. The 15 exclusive designs range from small geometrics to painterly styles; inspired by a myriad of sources from Moroccan kilims to vintage Russian textiles. Inherently fire retardant and soft to the touch, these velvets drape beautifully but are also stain resistant and washable, ensuring upholstery has longevity.
Frette debuts its latest Style of Living pieces for Spring/Summer 2020
Storied luxury Italian linen brand Frette revealed the newest releases as part of its Style of Living assemblage, available both in-store and online since March 2020. The latest pieces continue to build upon the foundational collection and colourways of the Style of Living assemblage with signature motifs re-imagined in timeless, versatile shades of navy and opal blue. In addition, four new designs have been added to the bedding assortment this season. A new collection of classics that extend beyond the bedroom, Style of Living’s precise design formula, called “product agility,” was carefully developed to prioritise the agility of the product over passing seasonal trends while also allowing for nearly infinite design possibilities across generations – from minimalist to extravagant, from geometric to romantic and ornate.
Gillian Weir offer bespoke cashmere throws, blankets and cushions
Gillian Weir’s bespoke cashmere throws, blankets and cushions are custom made to suit your individual projects. With a palette of 75 shades and looms just under three metres wide, each piece is completely bespoke and is hand dyed, woven and finished in your preferred colour, size, weight and finish.
For a relaxed, rustic feel choose from one of eight tassel designs; for a sleek luxe look opt for a pure mulberry silk border or pick a cashmere binding for a more natural, contemporary style. Gillian Weir rarely make the same throw twice, offering a unique touch of luxury for the most exclusive interiors.
The year of 2020 is upon us, and we hope you've got big project plans in the pipeline for the year ahead! To help you on your way with the latest product news and launches, browse this month's curated collection of products for January, featuring exclusive Art Deco inspired dining furniture, shower mixers with a 90's stereo aesthetic and minimal, monochromatic kitchen design solutions.
Oasis merge classicism and dynamism with the Art Déco inspired Turner Table
Turner Table is the newly born art piece of Oasis' Luxury HOME Collection. Inspired by the first works of the British painter, William Turner, its ribbed structure is called "Canneté" (meaning a particular decorative technique characterised by a series of narrow repetitive grooves which is created through specialised production processes and material combinations).
In the era in which form and function represent the ultimate aspiration, “Canneté” offers the perfect synthesis between geometry and decoration with a distinctive and timeless style. Featuring classic, Art Déco geometries complete with stylish marble top and made with the finest Italian manufacturing, the Turner Table is perfect for the most prestigious and elegant of locations; from luxury residences to character hotels; creating spaces to contemplate, relax and pamper in a sophisticated setting.
Hi-Fi by Gessi unites design and technology with the contemporary collection
Perfect for furnishing the bathroom as a room of wellness, beauty and living well. With the creativity that distinguishes it, Gessi has created a product to “play” with the water through a selection system of functions, flow and thermostatic shower mixer that has the aesthetic of a 1990's stereo system. A bit vintage and a bit futuristic, the new button operated embedded or external Hi-Fi systems are the right compromise between sophisticated technological research, minimalism and functionality.
The Gessi Hi-Fi System shower columns, with their linear design, overturn the concept of the column, hybridising it with the typical form of the shower panel - but with totally external installation. Without embedded elements, Gessi create a highly sophisticated, architectural effect. Available with rainfall, waterfall and directional shower kit functionality, these sculptural wellbeing objects are also equipped with a handshower with a magnetic and variable position system.
Poggenpohl presents Lean luxury with +SEGMENTO Y
The new interpretation of the classic +SEGMENTO is aimed at captivating a generation of buyers who value quality, function and exceptional design. In black, white and grey, +SEGMENTO Y deliberately focuses on these three shades in matt finishes. The design is pleasingly minimalistic and reduced, meaning it appeals specifically to a new, younger group of consumers.
+SEGMENTO Y can be fitted to the closest millimetre. On request, handless cabinet elements extend from floor to ceiling and highlight the philosophy of the brand; designing not only a kitchen, but a living space as well. The nanotech material used on the fronts are repeated on the worktops and back panels which creates a consistently flawless impression. The limited theme of monochromatic tones opens up simple yet bold statements. A radiant white kitchen block standing against an inky black backdrop, or a black kitchen block providing a powerful accent against matt grey!
The Panaz studio introduces a new fabric collection, Dalston for 2020
Introducing the new informal plaid collective by Panaz featuring Hampstead, a larger scale brushed design and Harrow, a subtle stitched check effect. A third design, Kensal, explores intermingled textures with unexpected pips of colour. Colourways with neutral backgrounds and pastel soft tints are inclusive, calmer and easy to live with - ideal for creating a relaxed atmosphere with a contemporary vibe.
The Dalston upholstery collection showcases Panaz' new printable velvet base cloth, Panvelle Luxe, perfectly suited for healthcare and hospitality settings.
Unlimited harmony, unlimited imagination: RAK-Precious provides luxury solutions for the washbasin
With richer finishes, RAK-Precious provides a luxurious alternative to the functional ceramic white. Combining collections for floors, walls, bathroom furnishings and accessories, RAK-Precious offers complete solutions, enabling you to create your own personal idea of harmony. RAK-Precious includes a full range of porcelain tile integrated washbasins made with RAK Ceramics Maximus technology. Counter washbasins, drop-in washbasins or countertop slabs, each solution offers a unique combination of decorating styles in order to create a perfectly coordinated environment. Marble, stone and cement can be perfectly combined with the functionality of RAK-Joy bathroom vanities.
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