Classic & Elegant Fabrics

What defines a classic, elegant fabric?

Classic, elegant fabrics are defined by well-balanced patterns, carefully worked weaves and colours that hold up over time. Andonis Fabric, Abacus Damask Fabric and Averill Fabric show how texture, damask and a discreet pattern can give a room character without feeling heavy. Think about how the fabric meets the wood, metal and wall colour of the room before you settle on the final combination.

Which classic fabrics suit curtains?

Curtains call for fabrics with a defined but fluid drape. Auberge Sheer Fabric gives a lighter filter of daylight, while Cantinella Fabric and Chaney Fabric can create more weight. The choice depends on the size of the window, the light in the room and how much you want to screen from view. Think about how the fabric meets the wood, metal and wall colour of the room before you settle on the final combination.

Which fabrics suit classic upholstery?

For upholstery, look for fabrics that combine durability with a surface that works across a larger volume. Ardlington Velvet Fabric, Culham Weave Fabric and Morris & Co Snakeshead Fabric can give an armchair or a sofa different degrees of depth, texture and pattern. Think about how the fabric meets the wood, metal and wall colour of the room before you settle on the final combination.

How do you combine classic fabrics without it feeling stiff?

Vary scale and material rather than matching everything exactly. A stripe can meet a botanical motif and a quiet weave, as long as one colour recurs. Annick Ticking Fabric, Wilhelmina Fabric and Corda Weave Fabric give you three useful levels. Think about how the fabric meets the wood, metal and wall colour of the room before you settle on the final combination.

What sets print, weave and embroidery apart?

Print gives crisp motifs, weave builds the pattern into the material itself, and embroidery creates relief on top of the base cloth. Pure Willow Boughs Print feels lighter and more immediate, while Pure Willow Bough Embroidery gives greater depth. The difference shows particularly on curtains and larger upholstered surfaces. Think about how the fabric meets the wood, metal and wall colour of the room before you settle on the final combination.

Can I get help choosing classic fabrics?

Yes. Begin with the visualisation on the product page once you are logged in, then compare the fabrics in the showroom at Sturegatan 20 in Stockholm. Bring photographs, measurements and details of how the fabric will be used. It then becomes far easier to judge drape, durability, pattern scale and combinations with walls and furniture. Think about how the fabric meets the wood, metal and wall colour of the room before you settle on the final combination.

A classic textile scheme is built in layers

A room feels considered when the textiles each have a job to do. The curtain frames, the upholstery fabric gives weight, and smaller cushions can carry a more expressive pattern. Aalter Fabric and Dart Stripe Fabric can work as quiet links between larger motifs.

Do compare Ralph Lauren Home fabrics, Morris & Co fabrics and Colefax & Fowler fabrics. They work with history and material in different ways, but all of them offer textiles that can be combined in a classic interior.

Pattern scale and proportion

A large botanical motif needs surface area if it is to be read, while a narrow stripe works on smaller details and on curtains. On an armchair a concentrated pattern can read clearly, whereas the same fabric on a large sofa calls for more thought about repeat and seams.

For further texture, look at Nobilis fabrics and the wider selection of fabrics. Do pair a rich surface with quieter wallpapers, or the other way round.

Materials that change the light

Velvet absorbs and reflects light differently depending on the direction of the pile. Linen and drier weaves give a more relaxed drape. A sheer quality such as Auberge Sheer can be used as an inner curtain, while denser weaves create a more defined frame.

In the living room you can let an armchair carry the pattern. In the bedroom, the curtain and the headboard are usually the most important textile surfaces. In the dining room, chair fabric and curtain need to balance one another.

From idea to finished scheme

Bear in mind that the pattern reads differently vertically and horizontally, depending on how it will be used. Check, too, how the pattern falls across seams, buttons and pleats. A fabric that looks quiet on a small piece can become much more active across a whole curtain.

Through made-to-order, curtains and furniture can be adapted to the measurements of the room. See also furniture, lighting and rugs when planning the whole scheme around the textiles.

Classic textile schemes are largely a question of proportion and repetition. A pattern need not be used many times over, but a colour or a line can happily recur in several parts of the room. A stripe in the curtain might, for instance, be supported by a plain armchair in the same tone and a cushion with a smaller botanical motif.

It is also worth separating the historically inspired from the formal. A classic weave can feel relaxed when it is combined with natural wood and simple lighting. In the same way, a damask can take on a more modern expression if the colour contrast is low and the surrounding surfaces are kept quiet. The materials need not, in other words, tie the room to any one period.

With upholstery, the placement of the pattern should be planned before cutting. Centre clear motifs on the back and seat, and check how the repeat meets across arms and side panels. It may call for more fabric, but the result is considerably more accomplished. On curtains, it is the pleating that decides how much of the motif is seen.

A combination that lasts usually holds a balance between the expressive and the neutral. Let one or two fabrics carry the story and use the rest as support. That makes it easier to change the room later by swapping cushions or smaller details, without having to remake the curtains and the larger pieces of furniture.

The colour scheme does not have to be muted to feel classic. Deep blue, green, red or ochre can give a room energy, particularly when the materials are well made and the pattern scale is balanced. The key is to limit the number of competing lead colours. Two or three clear colours, complemented by neutral materials, are usually enough to create a room that is rich yet coherent.

Do not forget the backs of furniture and curtains. An armchair standing free in the room needs to look considered from every angle, and a curtain is often seen from outside as well. Linings, seams and pattern placement should therefore be planned as part of the whole. Small details such as braid or piping can strengthen the shape, but they should be used with restraint so that the textile still feels calm.

Where several rooms connect, the same fabric family can be used at different strengths. A heavier weave in the living room and a lighter version in the bedroom creates a link without every room looking the same.