SOFT FURNISHINGS

 SOFT FURNISHINGS

MEANING –

Soft furnishings are a general name for curtains, furniture coverings, and other things made of cloth that decorates a room. Household textiles, frequently referred to as soft furnishings, are fabrics used in the home. By incorporating fabrics (swags, curtains, blinds, table linen, furniture covers, bed linen and cushions) one can change the décor from plain, dull and lifeless to one that has softness, warmth and vitality. Soft furnishings are an important element of interior style, being both practical and decorative. They add the last details in comfort and style.

IMPORTANCE –

·        Soft furnishings turn the neutral spaces into personal and very special places.

·        Fabric is the prime contributor in soft furnishing products and thus it must provide the texture, color, character, scale and anything that is missing in the architecture.

·        Soft furnishings has many roles to play, it brings style, reflects one's taste and controls the mood. Moreover, it is the most flexible and can be easily changed, replaced or added to.

·        They increase livability and workability of a small place, reduce noises; make music and even speech richer and more resonant.

·        For getting all the advantages of fabric used for soft furnishing, it must have properties such as light fastness, resistance to seam slippage, resistance to staining, pilling and snagging, flame retardancy etc.

·        Soft furnishings are an important element of interior style, being both practical and decorative.

·        They add the last details in comfort and style.

RELATIONSHIP OF FURNISHINGS WITH SPACE –

When soft furnishing is considered through public and private space relationship understandings, it shows that soft furnishings are also the reflection of people reveal, want and control. Thus, the usage of soft furnishings in public spaces shows the same attitude as of using public spaces. They are the places where all people are gathered and get into contact. That being said, the selection of soft furnishings should be suitable for communal uses. They are mainly selected by considering health, safety and well-being of the public. Thus, main considerations are the flammability, physical and aesthetic durability of the fabrics/textiles. The goal is both to select the least flammable and the most durable fabrics/textiles where people’s traffic is dense. Cleaning activity is frequent in public spaces; hence used fabric/textile should be durable for frequent use. These are the main considerations for the usage of soft furnishings in public spaces. The functionality is, therefore, the first consideration to use soft furnishings at public spaces. Therefore, for the usage of soft furnishings in private spaces is not much different than public spaces as theses paces are also shared with other people. Private space is part of a space where individuals enclose to control their exclusive use. It is the enclosed spaces that get into some contact with other people. It can be an office, workplace or a school therefore; health, safety and well-being issues become main considerations again.

Home is considered to be the symbol and materialization of private realm. Therefore, it is the place of private spaces which is separated and protects its users from the public spaces. Furnishings have an important role especially for the home environments. They are selected and used by the user’s wants and reflected in various ways in interior spaces.. Home environments are organized directly with the user’s wants; not for other people’s wants. Thus, soft furnishings are shaped and reflected to a home environment by the user’s identity.

Homes include a variety of rooms to live in it. They mainly consist of the entry hall, living space, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Every room has different needs and requirements in terms of their functions. Different functions are provided by the usage of different materials and the use of furnishings at home environments. Furnishings have a role to humanize with the needs and requirements of different functions. Generally, the functional needs are provided by the use of furnishings and also together with the soft furnishings. The usages of soft furnishings help to confront people’s requirements that with what they want to see at their interior spaces of the home environment.

SELECTION -

To determine the best fabric for a particular soft furnishing, a balancing act takes place between the functional requirements and the aesthetic requirements, as well as other factors like cost and availability.

Some of the determining factors for fabric selection are outlined below:

• Appearance: Often a well-designed piece of furniture becomes totally inappropriate because the wrong color, texture, or pattern is chosen. The designer should ensure that the colors and patterns of the furniture blend in with the rest of the design.

• Durability:This includes resistance to abrasion, fading, and other abuses as well as its clean ability and stain resistance. Fabrics like nylon and wool are more durable than say, rayon.

Flammability : This is a very important consideration, particularly in public places like auditoriums, Hospitals and restaurants. Certain fabrics are inherently more flame-resistant than others, but today, the majority of fabrics can be treated with various chemicals to enhance their resistance to ignition and smoldering. Many states and most federal agencies have flammability standards for furniture. These are discussed in the chapter on codes.

• Maintenance: Some fabrics require more maintenance than others. If the furniture is tobe subjected to substantial wear, an appropriate fabric should be chosen.

• Comfort: People come in direct contact with furniture more than another component of interior space, so comfort must be appropriate for the intended use and for ergonomic requirements. A waiting room chair does not need to be as comfortable as an office worker’s chair. The designer should choose an appropriate fabric that is comfortable to the touch. A porous fabric breathes and is more comfortable for long periods of sitting, and where the temperature is high. Likewise, smooth fabrics are more comfortable than rough textured ones. There are many other factors which the designer should consider in making a fabric selection such as fabric durability, its touch characteristics, the scale of its patterns or texture, and so on.

                                                                                                             BY

                                                                                               N.VIJAYALAKSHMI

                                                                                   HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

                                                                                 INTERIOR DESIGN AND DECOR