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  • Writer's pictureHannah Diane

Textiles, fibres and fabrics - What are they and how should I choose my favourites?

If you don't know much about the fabrics that surround you in your daily life, you might find this post quite helpful when truly you didn't even think you needed to know these things. There's so much more to fabric than meets the eye and I'm not just saying that to make you keep reading! I want to share what I've learnt with you for mutual benefit (I have a test on this in three days... haha!).


Our homes deserve the best window treatments (drapery), upholstery, towels, sheets, clothes and flooring. In our interiors, the textures, colours, and patterns need to harmonisely compliment each other while also offering practical/functional qualities such as warmth, comfort, mood and atmosphere. We want to surround ourselves with fabrics that are easy to handle, have a low cost (sometimes...hehe...) and humanize our living spaces (creating a softer transition between the architecture and the furniture.


An important tip from my lecturer, Susan Hudson, was to always consider your fabrics and textiles under the same lighting conditions that will exist in the final location they are being chosen for. For example, daylight or natural light vs artificial light. Sometimes it helps to see larger samples of fabrics for larger proportioned pieces in a room (e.g. ask for a large sample of a drapery/curtain fabric so you can hang it in the actual space and get a feel for how it will look).


A textile is a woven fabric. The texture of this textile is determinded by the following: the fibre content, density, yarn configuration (e.g. twisted), type of weave, and surface finish. A fibre is the raw material such as the yarn that is then woven into make the fabric, carpet or textile. And when I use the term 'fabric', I'm talking about the result of weaving, knitting, felting, bonding or lacing fibres and yarns - using either synthetic or natural yarns.


Textiles are made of 'fibres' and fibres can be:

- natural

- man-made natural

- man-made synthetic


Natural textiles can be either plant or animal based.

Man-made natural textiles are made using the natural source of the fibre.

Man-made synthetic textiles are made using completely artificially manufactured fibres.

Keep reading for examples of each of these textiles!


Natural Fibres:

a) Plant based fibres (also known as cellulose) - such as cotton, hemp, linen, etc.

b) Animal based fibres (also known as protein) - such as wool, silk, mohair, cashmere, alpaca, etc.


Man-Made Fibres:

a) Man-made natural (also known as man-made cellulose) - is made from wood pulp from trees such as Eucalyptus, Spruce and Mulberry trees - this creates fibres such as Rayon, Ramie, Acetate and Viscose (which by the way, is very soft!).

b) Man-made synthetic fabrics - Includes fibres such as polyester, nylon, vinyl, acrylic, polypropylene, olefin (an amazing choice for an outdoor fabric). These are all made from plastic chips.


When synthetic fibres are added to a natural fibre to create a fabric - they call this a blended fabric. These fabrics last longer, are less likely to fade, and will not rot in 5-10 years like natural fabrics tend to do. If you choose a 100% linen curtain - just be aware that you will need to replace these in about 5 years as they will fade, decompse and become insect food for your resident insects. So if you like the look of linen but you want a longer lifespan, find a polyester fabric that looks and feels like linen. So better yet, get a blend of both natural and synthetic fibres so your linen can look authentic but still have a long life and a great aesthetic.


You know what a natural fibre is vs a synthetic fibre now, so which room should you use each fibre in? Which ones should you avoid in certain climates or rooms of the house?

Well let me guide you on what I think are the top things to consider before choosing your favourite fabrics:

- the climate - do you live in a cool or warm climate such as Dunedin or Keri Keri, New Zealand.

- the light the room gets - full sunlight, how many windows let the light in, or is there hardly any light and therefore artificial lighting.

- the function of the room - who will use this room, what will they do in this room.

- do you see yourself redesign this room in the next 5 years or not? - basically, do you mind having to replace certain elements in a few years time (and don't worry, if this is the case due to choosing natural fibres, at least you can rest easy that all the components will decompse as they are biodegradable). Go you eco-warrior!

- your budget - do you want low cost, budget friendly options or quality, luxury options.

- the look and mood you want to create - what is your dream for this room - create a mood board using pinterest and show your ideas to the shop assistant or to your shopping buddy so you can stick to a certain type of fabric or look.





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