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(ARA) - In language as in decorating,
fabric is more than "a material made from fibers or threads." That
definition actually falls behind an older, deeper definition of the
word. Webster first defines fabric as "the framework or basic structure
of anything." Homes should reflect and express the overall framework of
our lives -- in other words, offer a glimpse of what makes us tick.
Fabric choices, even more quickly and
certainly than an assemblage of furniture, establish the style of a
room. At the same time, they provide insight to the taste, personality,
and overriding spirit of the people who live in a particular space.
Through the selection of fabric, very
disparate types of architecture and furniture can be unified. Geometric
and abstract patterns can give furniture from any era a modern look.
There are floral prints for every taste and style, elegant antique
document prints, exotic ethnic patterns, checks and stripes to bridge
designs within a room and from room to room, and, not least, novelty
prints make a highly personal statement, usually with whimsy.
Interior designers often say their
clients fall in love with a fabric pattern only to finally choose
something "safe." Interior designers' greatest gift is giving clients
the confidence to choose from the heart. When room design comes from the
heart it becomes a true reflection of the "fabric" of a household.
Selections from the Jaima Brown Home designer collections illustrate
some of the versatile possibilities inherent in the use of fabric.
To give an informal sitting room a taste of the
tropics, we coordinated exotic "island girls" wallpaper from the Sarong
collection with "Key West palm" and "arbor" patterns from the same
collection. The former is used for cushions on the bamboo furniture,
which is accented with a throw pillow in arbor's lattice design,
outlined with fun fringe.
A tent of the same arbor pattern turns this room's
fifth wall -- the ceiling, into a designer's dream addition. It brings
an unusually high ceiling down to appropriate scale for this space while
also softening the room with graceful folds of fabric overhead.
Uncommon elegance can come from the
generous use of a dominant pattern. Walls, cushioned and upholstered in
an Oriental document design from Sarong, make a stunning backdrop for a
handsome, intricately carved mahogany bed and also guard the room from
intrusive sound. Cushioned, fabric-clad walls provide excellent
sound-absorption in apartments and in today's media rooms.
Ribbon covers the fabric seams on the
wall, adding the interest of an occasional stripe. The duvet cover and
European pillow shams are of the same fabric, and the fringe on the
pillows matches the seams on the wall. Even the family pooch, clad in a
cape of matching fabric and fringe, takes on an air of elegance. If
that's a little "too, too" for your pet's taste, use the fabric for a
“pawsitively” glamorous puppy pillow or bed.
The ultimate fun with fabrics comes from mixing
and matching pattern in unexpected places. Walls of
sailboat-patterned fabric from the Sheridan Road
collection create a nautical motif for a den. We
upholstered only the back and seat of an old,
beloved chair with the same fabric, then made it a
singular success with a mix of three other fabric
patterns. Mitering the stripes on a pillow, allowing
the same stripes to peek from the underside of a red
and white checkered skirt, and tying all the
patterns together with piping of the checkered skirt
pattern, achieves one-of-a-kind designer detailing.
Browse through all the Jaima Brown Home
collections to see more ways that "material made
from fibers or threads" can express the unique
fabric of your life. Jaima Brown Home collections
are available through interior designers and select
designer showrooms. For more information or to
locate a showroom near you, call 888-865-0200 or
visit
www.jaimabrownhome.com .
Courtesy of ARA Content
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Vol.
7.12