Craft immersive textile stories with KNOW-STALGIA and FibreGuard

The defining ‘feeling’ of a room doesn’t just appear magically from nowhere: it’s created by interior designers with an eye for detail.

Textiles play a pivotal role in shaping the ambiance of a space, allowing you to weave narratives that transform a room into a living artwork.

Today, we're diving into how to use textiles to tell a story, and explore our 'KNOW-STALGIA' theme from the 2024 Trends Book at the same time!

Establish Your Narrative

Interior designers, just like novelists, are masters at setting the tone that can transport you into a certain mood or world.

With some basic principles, you too can become a "storyteller". How? Using the idea of concepts, supported by details like upholstery fabrics, trims, and soft furnishings.

Are you looking for an accessible downloadable resource that can give you a bigger picture of design trends across the world? Discover Trends by visiting trends.brutex.com today!

Using our Know-Stalgia design trend for design-led storytelling

Where to begin? With the ‘plot’. Every good story needs a clear narrative driving it forward. Any one of our trends themes would be an interesting place to start building your story, but today we’d like to look at KNOW-STALGIA. It’s a deeply emotional trend theme, connected with the things that inspire us: perfect for storytelling!

KNOW-STALGIA is our playful take on nostalgia and self-awareness. It’s a combination of the comfort that the familiar brings us (the nostalgia) with moving forward into the future and embracing change (we know that the familiar feeling is just as important as the new, exciting stuff).

KNOW-STALGIA lets us relax into change, helping us prepare for what’s next by remembering how things were before. It’s the comfort we feel when we know something will be familiar to us, but not in a bad way. Grounded, earthy colours are everywhere in KNOW-STALGIA, to give us a comforting presence even in the middle of our fast-paced, always-connected world.

Our 2024/2025 Trends book is jam-packed with wonderful ideas that are more about overarching culture and design than about fads and fashions. Check it out here.

Start at the very beginning: the plot, or concept, of an interior space

Here are even more ideas for the ‘plot’ of your story. This overarching concept could be:

• A specific period to channel: think Victorian-inspired kitchens or 1970s retro furniture arrangements.
• A place or destination: a Moroccan retreat or Scandinavian cabin.
• A simple but powerful an aesthetic vibe, like cosy minimalist living rooms, or blissed-out Bohemian bedrooms.

When you look at it this way, the narrative concept is the driving force behind all other design decisions. If you want to suggest the look and atmosphere of a mediterranean villa, for instance, you may lean towards choosing lightweight linen-look upholstery fabrics in desaturated terracotta shades.

Plunge into KNOW-STALGIA on our Pinterest.

Set the Tone with a Hero Fabric

Just like the main character in a book, your textile story needs a defining hero fabric. It’s the star of the show, with all other elements designed to support it.

The hero could be that hand-embroidered suzani that you scored at the flea market and plan to display front and centre as a wall hanging. Or maybe it's the extravagant hand-loomed silk rug you splurged on, and want to be the focal point grounding the room.

Let this signature textile help guide the other choices. If you're working with a very ornate patterned fabric like a traditional damask, you'll want to balance it with plenty of solids and textured neutrals elsewhere. Items that are equal parts stylish and functional are always winners, of course: this is where we bring our own soft upholstery fabrics into the mix!

Incorporate Supporting Characters

Now it's time to build out the ‘supporting cast’ around your hero fabric. These could be anything from upholstery to drapery choices, as well as accent pillows and rugs.

You could take some inspiration from your own personal collections at this point, just like in our KNOW-STALGIA trend. Display your cherished items, such as family heirlooms or travel souvenirs, to create a space that speaks to your unique personality and experiences.

The key is variation, balance, and textile quality. When it comes to textiles, look for upholstery fabrics that pull out some of the secondary accent colours, or share a similar textural vibe. Our cloud-soft upholstery fabrics are very versatile this way, because of our extensive range of colours and textures.

No need to be scared of neutrals!

Our upholstery is so easy to clean, you can include neutral shades in your decor without worrying that they'll soon be ruined by the kids' chocolate fingers - or any other accidental stains that can happen.

The Finishing Touches

Crafting layered, multi-dimensional interiors isn’t for the faint-hearted but it’s worth the careful effort and planning. Transform any living space into more than just a gathering of furniture: even small apartments or single rooms like the bedroom or dining room. Above all, design storytellers, have fun with the KNOW-STALGIA trend!