Home furnishings or soft furnishings is the happening thing in the textile and fashion business today. More the people long for decorating their surroundings with soothing colours and designs, more the textile manufacturers are increasing the production of interior textiles.
Fabrics used in Home furnishings
Home Furnishing Fabrics or Home Textiles refer to the textiles used for manufacturing home furnishings. It has an extensive range of functional as well as decorative products. It consists of both, natural as well as man-made fabrics. The textile fabrics most commonly used for home furnishing may be listed as Silk, Cotton, Jute, Rayon, Wool, Nylon, Polyester, Satin, Organza, Organdy etc.
1. Upholstery fabrics
Upholstery fabrics are used to cushion and cover furniture. There can be fixed upholstery or loose covers. Fixed upholstery is fastened or glued to the furniture. Mostly acrylic fabric and velvets are used due to their excellent brightness and appearance.
2. Window textiles
Window textiles may include curtains, drapes, blinds etc. This is probably the widest area of fabric development in home textiles. Mostly cotton, flax, wool, silk, acrylic, etc. are used for the purpose. Of late flame retardant curtains using modacrylic fiber, viscose, PVC etc. have also gained popularity. Some blinds allow transmission of a little light into the room whereas the others usually made of cotton fabric, known as black out material, give 100 percent opacity.
3. Bed linen and other bed textiles
Bed linen and other bed textiles include excess bed sheets and pillow cases, bed spreads, quilt covers, duvet covers, cushions, blankets, mattresses, Bed throws, sofa throws and many other items. For bedsheets, bedspreads and similar items, acrylic, viscose, silk and blends are used. For quilted textiles, mainly PET fiber is used. For blankets wool, acrylic fiber, and acrylic polyester fiber blends are used extensively.
4. Bathroom textile
Bathroom textiles include shower curtains, bath robes, bath mats, bath rugs, towels etc. Wholesale shower curtains need to be water proof and so plastic coated textiles either of woven or non woven fabrics are in great demand.
5. Table linen and other table cloths
Table linen and other table cloths include table mats, napkins, placemats, chair covers, chair mats and pads, table runners, coasters. Jute, leather, plastic, silk satin are also used widely for other items like placemats, chair mats, table runners etc.
Rugs and carpets are very important part of floor covering which has gained worldwide popularity. Apart from traditional woolen and silk carpets, other categories like coir carpets, hand knotted and jute carpets have a good market share in wholesale fabrics for home textiles.
