There are so many options when it comes to choosing fabrics for your next home décor project, whether you’re covering cushions or your comfy old couch.
A pop of colour on some cushions to liven up your drab-looking lounge? Or how about some florals on the new fabric for your couch to complete the botanical look in your sitting room? In cotton or linen? Or what about a slubbed polyester fabric?
With digital fabric printing, your home décor dreams are only limited by your imagination.
Digital textile printing technology allows for a vast range of textile types to be used to turn your home accessories into fashion statements.
From the wannabe decorator to experienced interior designers and boutique homeware store owners looking for that special something for their client, there is a wide range of fabrics available that will create the perfect style to suit your home décor scheme and preferences.
The beauty of digital fabric printing is that you can quickly turn your pattern wishlist into reality.
Let’s take a look at some of the more popular fabrics that can be used in and around the home to help you achieve a stylish updated look.
Overview of fabrics for your next home décor project
Slub fabrics
Cotton slub sample
When talking textiles, slub refers to the fabric having a patchy, knobbly appearance that is caused by an uneven thickness of the warp.
In old times when fabrics were still created by hand, the word “slub” was used to describe the preparation of the wool before it was spun.
Using their hands, the spinners would twist the wool fibres to create yarns. These yarns would not be the same thickness, and so when a garment was finished the unevenness of the yarns would result in what they called a “slub”.
So-called slubbed fabrics can be natural (cotton, linen, silk) or synthetic (polyester). The main difference is that in the natural fabrics these imperfections are visible because in nature no two threads are the same thickness.
Polyester, on the other hand, is a man-made fabric. This means the yarns are identical when produced and have a smooth look. However, natural-looking polyester slub fabrics are very popular for home décor projects and can be readily produced with modern machinery.
Polyester slub sample
Though known for its poor resistance to oil and greasy food stains, a polyester slub, or poly slub as it’s known, is durable and easy to care for. It is also quite resistant to abrasion and natures elements, such as sunlight, insects and mildew. This makes it a perfect choice of fabric for your next home décor project.
The printed fabric has a slightly stiff feel but is easy to handle. It’s best used for cushions, tablecloths and runners, and upholstery work for indoor and outdoor furniture.
Cotton slub fabric is 100% natural and has a soft, workable feel. However, it is stable and durable. Printed cotton slub fabric is best suited to window treatments and for upholstered items that don’t need a heavy duty fabric.
Cotton twills
Fabric dictionary describes a twill as a basic weave in which the surface of the fabric has diagonal parallel ridges. In some twill weave fabrics, the diagonal effect may also be visible on the back of the fabric.
The soft, durable and wrinkle-resistant properties of cotton twill make it a great fabric for your new home décor project. Specifically, it works well for slipcovers and upholstery.
Linen and linen blends
As mentioned above, linen has a natural slub variation which gives it a classic, textured look which makes it a versatile fabric for your next home décor project.
A natural and durable fibre, linen is the perfect choice of fabric if you’re looking for making up new curtains that allow some light through and are stylish.
As it’s soft to the touch, linen is also a wonderful fabric choice for covering sofas and headboards, making up tablecloths, runners, scatter cushion covers and lampshades.
Linen/cotton blend sample
Fabric made from a blend of linen and cotton (we supply a 45%/55% mix) has similar applications for your home dėcor projects but has the added advantage of adding strength to the virgin linen fabric as well as reducing the cost.
Just peachy
Peachskin is a smooth finish applied to finely woven microfibre fabric. The soft, suede finish results from sanding or chemical treatment of the fabric.
This finish allows suits and dresses to flow with movement and drape beautifully. The feel of peachskin is soft, smooth and moderately wrinkle-resistant.
It is a medium weight fabric that has a fuzzy, suede-like feel. As such it’s ideal for recovering that old favourite ottoman or for cushions or sofas.
Wrapping up
When it comes to selecting fabrics for your next home décor project you’re spoilt for choice. Whether you need digitally printed fabrics for upholstery chairs, couch makeovers, slipcovers, ottomans or cushions, Startex offers the widest range of digitally printed fabrics and advice to get the job done. Contact us today!
