Basic to breathtaking: luxe textiles for every space

As textile specialists who've spent years working with home fabrics, we understand that the path to creating a truly glamorous interior lies in using well-made, high-quality materials.

While we approach this from fabric professionals' perspective rather than interior designers', we've learned countless ways that the right textiles can elevate any space from ordinary to extraordinary. And we love to share them with the world!

Ready to go glam?

The Drama of Drapery

When it comes to adding instant glamour to a room, nothing quite compares to the impact of expertly chosen window treatments. Floor-to-ceiling curtains in sumptuous fabrics can transform an entire space.

For a truly luxurious look, consider silk blend fabrics like silk taffeta or silk dupioni. These materials catch the light beautifully and have a natural sheen that adds depth to your room. If you're concerned about durability, modern poly blends offer a similar luminosity with added resilience. We love high performance fabrics like Zepel’s Geneva, a multi-purpose chenille featuring a straited affect that adds a subtle decorative finish.

This multi-purpose chenille features a straited affect adding a subtle decorative finish to upholstery and drapery applications. Geneva offers an impressive composition of 59% recycled polyester with 41% polyester, inherent stain resistance, and high-performance properties. With its velvety texture and weighted handle, Geneva is a superior drape option for interiors requiring high insulation and sound absorption. This design is washable at 74 degrees and Oeko-Tex 100, Global Recycled Standard, and ISO 14001 certified. - Zepel Fabrics

When hanging your curtains, height is crucial. Mount your curtain rods as close to the ceiling as possible, even in rooms with standard-height ceilings. This creates an illusion of taller windows and adds vertical drama to your space.

Want to know the secret to luxuriously full curtains? Calculate your fabric needs generously - aim for a width that's double your window size. This ensures your curtains will gather elegantly when drawn back, creating the soft, undulating folds that are a hallmark of high-end design.

Related read: What is chenille upholstery fabric?

The Art of Upholstery

Your choice of upholstery can make or break the atmosphere you're trying to create. Let's talk about specific fabrics that can elevate your furniture pieces:

For sofas, consider a rich velvet in a jewel tone. It has a unique depth of colour and a soft sheen that changes as you move through the room. FibreGuard’s velvet offerings, for example, combine durability with striking patterns that can serve as a room's centrepiece.

For occasional chairs, you might explore cut velvets with subtle patterns. These create visual interest while maintaining an air of sophistication. Look for options like James Dunlop’s "Gala" collection, which offers geometric patterns that add texture and interest without overwhelming the space.

Gala combines a woven chevron pattern, with a graduated ombre of colour via tonal yarns. Gala is another useful transitional design, woven in a palette of cream, bold red, ink blue and emerald green. Gala has the added performance benefits of being permanently stain resistant, easy to clean, durable, child and pet friendly and environmentally safe. The ideal solution to add multi colour and graphic shape into both commercial and residential spaces. - James Dunlop

When it comes to mixing patterns and textures, consider this approach: First use a quality plain coloured fabric on larger pieces like your sofa. Then introduce pattern through smaller upholstered items. An ottoman in a subtle herringbone, or side chairs in a small-scale geometric pattern, can add layers of interest while maintaining cohesion.

The Layering Strategy

Thoughtful layering can elevate any interior, no matter how big the room is. Start with your upholstered foundation pieces, then build upon them. Decorative pillows are your next layer, but rather than simply tossing on a few basic cushions, consider creating a carefully curated collection. Combine different textures and complementary patterns in your pillow choices.

For example:

1. A pair of pillows in a lustrous silk effect for shine
2. A couple in a textured fabric like bouclé for depth
3. One or two in a metallic-threaded fabric for a touch of sparkle

The key is to vary the textures while keeping a coherent colour story. Choose a dominant colour, then work with different shades and tones within that palette.

Unexpected Textile Touches

True beauty often lies in the unexpected details. Consider these less obvious ways to incorporate lavish textiles:

1. Wall upholstery, while seeming like a bold choice, can add unparalleled sophistication to a room. Even upholstering a single feature wall in a subtle silk moire can transform the entire space. If full wall upholstery feels too committed, consider framed panels of fabric as wall art.
2. Lampshades are another often-overlooked opportunity for textile applications. Replace plain white shades with custom versions in fine silks or even a metallic-threaded linen. The way light filters through these elevated materials can add a warm, elegant glow to your entire room.

A Note on Practicality

While we're focusing on glamour, it's worth addressing durability. High-traffic areas need special consideration. For these spaces, check out performance fabrics that mimic the look of more delicate materials. We’re very proud of our work here at FibreGuard, crafting highly durable offerings with a characteristically soft look and feel. Our velvet options, for instance, can stand up to real life while maintaining an air of stylishness.

The Art of Editing

As a final note, remember that true glamour lies not just in what you add, but also in what you choose to leave out. Experts suggest that you edit your textile choices carefully. Every fabric should serve a purpose, whether it's adding texture, introducing a needed colour, or creating a focal point.

'Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.' — William Morris

When you find yourself questioning if something adds to the affect you’re working to achieve in a space, it probably doesn't. Let your textiles be the stars of your room's story. With thoughtful selection and placement, they'll create the glamorous interior you envision - one that's both luxurious and livable.

Looking for luxury? Choose FibreGuard.

While you can't purchase directly from FibreGuard's website, most well-known furniture manufacturers offer FibreGuard as an upholstery option for their pieces.

Custom upholstery shops and interior designers have FibreGuard fabric books on hand, allowing you to see and feel the fabrics in person before deciding. If you're working with a designer, they can order these fabrics through their trade accounts. For DIY enthusiasts, retail fabric stores sometimes carry FibreGuard options, though the selection may be limited compared to trade-only showrooms.

You can also browse our digital fabric textures for free on the TwinBru platform. You can find the FibreGuard digital twin collection here. Find a design you like? You can order free fabric samples from TwinBru as well.

Contract designers: please contact our team directly.