The best textiles to use for decor and design

Playing with patterns, color and samples

• The rule of thumb for patterns in home decor and design is that they should have similar colours or shades. Decorators usually follow the 60/30/30 décor and design rule to balance a room; this means that 60% of the room will be in one fabric, 30% in another and 10% to add a touch of interest, perhaps in items on a coffee table.

• Be creative and play with colours and patterns. It’s easy to do this if you get fabric samples of each of the patterns you’re considering using and then look at how well they go together. 

• maake offers a selection of services to get this right

• You can purchase our sample book to see how different bases look when they are printed on for home décor, or

• You can order a sample of a particular material with your chosen pattern on it. Or you can create your own pattern.

Fabrics 101

There are certain fabrics that interior designers will use time and again in design – and for very good reason. The texture and quality of these design fabrics are ideal for your home interior.

Every item on this page is beautiful to look at, hard wearing, and colours print beautifully on them. Of course, price varies according to the textile and design, so make sure to take your budget into consideration before you start.

Decor fabrics we use in the trade

To help you, we put together a very informative blog on maake’s top 5 textile choices for interior design – check it out!

Also, bear these fabrics in mind for the items you choose:

• Acrylic: Popular material because it’s soft and has a texture similar to wool, acrylic is extremely hard-wearing, doesn’t crease or shrink and resists stains. It also doesn’t fade easily. You’ll find it in many heavy traffic areas in a home.
• Cotton: It's hard wearing, inexpensive and extremely durable and versatile, and cotton is also a natural material that we often use for curtains, upholstery, cushions and home decor accessories.

Sure, it isn’t as plush as silk, but cotton does the job as it comes in several weights and weaves, offering a range of textures. Also, colour, design and patterns print beautifully on cotton fabrics.

It’s ideal for rooms with lots of traffic and wear, such as kids’ bedrooms, family rooms, living areas, a dining room or a guest’s powder room.

• Leather: You’ve probably seen photographs of sumptuous leather home interior settings in the pages of Elle Decoration and other popular design magazines. As it's extremely durable and luxurious, we use leather often to upholster couches and chairs.

It’s soft, sumptuous and comfortable and this is why we choose it, usually in shades of brown or black for a natural feel. Although expensive to buy, leather lasts very well and is easy to keep clean – just wipe dry or use a special cleaning product. Opens up a variety of home decor and design possibilities and is ideal for families and high traffic areas.

• Microfibre: A mix of polyester and nylon that is comfortable, lightweight and hard-wearing, microfibre is  very popular décor fabric. It’s soft and velvety, but as it’s a synthetic fabric,  it’s less expensive than velvet.
• Nylon: As it's synthetic and hard-wearing, we often choose nylon for curtains and upholstery.
• Polyester: It’s very hardy, which is the reason we often use this synthetic material for a home interior. It’s also quite stain-resistant, which is another plus, and makes it perfect for rooms where children spend their time (bedrooms, playrooms, kitchen areas and TV rooms).

We often use polyester for outdoor furniture upholstery as it’s so long-lasting and doesn’t crease easily. The most common type of polyester fabrics for décor purposes is a microfibre blend (see above).

• Rayon: This material feels as if it’s silk but it’s much more hard-wearing and less expensive. We often use it to upholster furniture and for curtains for the home. However, rayon does crease easily.
• Silk: We often choose this luxurious material for curtains, cushions and furniture upholstery. Unfortunately, silk creases easily and it’s not easy to care for. It’s also a delicate material, so don't expect it to be hard wearing. But people love its rich silky texture.

Use silk for soft home furniture and furnishings ­ cushions, throws and bed covers that don’t receive much wear. Don't use silk for your home furniture upholstery, unless you are planning to cover a statement piece that you rarely use.

• Velvet: Another sumptuous décor fabric, we use velvet for upholstery, curtains, cushions and other home ware items.  
• Wool : A natural material that is warm and classic, we often use wool for home carpets and a rug. 

Especially for the design trade

At maake we care about our customers. We know you have your own design business and are trying to make ends meet, as we do. And that’s why we show you how to improve your business with blogs such as this one, which you can save and read time and again. Subscribe now!

Also make sure to subscribe to our maakeAcademy website and see how we can help your business further, or check out this website to see how you can print digitally on fabric. You can also purchase offers a stunning selection of readymade textile homeware and lifestyle products at maakeHome.