Decorating Guides
Textile Textbook: Get Ready to be Wooed by Wovens
We break down the three basic weaves and show how to use woven fabrics in your home
This latest Houzz series celebrates the textiles that decorate, soften and sometimes even define our interiors. We’ll start with a popular material in home design: woven fabrics. Chances are that you are well-acquainted with the three basic weaves, maybe without even realizing it. Plain, twill and satin weaves make up everything from canvas to burlap. Just as three simple chords can be combined endlessly to produce an infinite number of melodies, so too do these weaves sport many different looks depending on the type of threads used.
This rustic tablecloth showcases burlap, another plain-woven fabric made with all-natural fibers, atop a duck cloth layer below. Burlap differs from other plain-woven fabrics in the openness of its weave, which imparts the handmade feeling that has charmed legions of Shabby Chic and farmhouse-style devotees.
The plain, flat weave of painters’ drop cloths has made this material the darling of DIY enthusiasts. Like muslin, a similar plain-woven fabric used to mock up clothing patterns in the fashion world, drop cloth tends to be 100 percent cotton and can be made relatively thin for drapes or thick and utilitarian to function as an awning, as we see here.
Duck cloth is a closely woven cotton canvas whose ply yarns give it strength and body, resulting in a product that is typically durable, heavy and suitable for a wide variety of applications. This lovely blue headboard is one example.
Speaking of Shabby Chic style, slipcovers in duck cloth are inexpensive, hardy and typically machine-washable.
Chintz, for those who love the look of these plain-woven polished cotton florals, is nearly a decorating theme unto itself. Versatile and durable enough for drapes, bedding and even light-use upholstery, this fabric is sometimes used by chintzaholics for all three functions in the same room.
Designer Mario Buatta, nicknamed “The Prince of Chintz,” is one particularly well-known champion of this style. Here, he proves that a lovely chintz can thrive anywhere, even amid geometric wallpaper.
2. Twill Weave
Twill fabrics are tightly woven, featuring a signature appearance of closely packed diagonal lines running throughout the fabric. Twill is a fabric in its own right, but the weave is also the foundation for some canvas fabrics as well as herringbone and flame stitch patterns.
Twill fabrics are tightly woven, featuring a signature appearance of closely packed diagonal lines running throughout the fabric. Twill is a fabric in its own right, but the weave is also the foundation for some canvas fabrics as well as herringbone and flame stitch patterns.
The twill weave provides the basis for the herringbone pattern, as seen on this sofa. Herringbone is a surefire way to add some easy texture to an otherwise solid sofa.
Denim may be America’s favorite twill weave, and for good reason. It’s durable enough for our favorite pants, and for slipcovers and upholstery too. Further, it keeps a space humble, casual and hardworking, making denim a prime choice for children’s bedrooms, playrooms, mudrooms and family rooms.
3. Satin Weave
In the satin weave, yarns float over four or more yarns before looping under a single yarn. This produces fabric with a smooth and lustrous surface. For even more gloss, the fine filaments used in satins can be mercerized, a process that alters the chemical structure of the material and boosts its luster, strength, mildew resistance and acceptance of dye.
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In the satin weave, yarns float over four or more yarns before looping under a single yarn. This produces fabric with a smooth and lustrous surface. For even more gloss, the fine filaments used in satins can be mercerized, a process that alters the chemical structure of the material and boosts its luster, strength, mildew resistance and acceptance of dye.
More
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Finish Your Look With a Fun Mix of Textiles
Plain weave creates duck cloth, canvas, chintz and taffeta. The standout feature of these fabrics is their characteristic flat appearance, which comes from tightly woven fibers.
The shower curtain here is made of duck cloth for a simple, natural elegance.