TRADITIONAL CARPETS & CURTAINS
Oriental rugs in traditional and contemporary styles have been joined by a revival of Axminster and Aubusson, Wilton and Brussels carpets; ingrain and floorcloths; Arts and Crafts-period adaptations; hooked period rugs and one-of-a-kind wovens.
This broad category is not arranged by period, but rather by type of goods, such as curtains or rugs, bedding or trim. Go to the sub-category page of greatest interest to get a feel for the historical fabric products and how they compare:
Curtains, Shades, Etc.: fabrics specific to windows (e.g., lace panels); embroidery and appliqué kits; roller and balloon shades; rods and tiebacks; UV-blocking window film
Period Rugs and Carpeting: wovens; floorcloths; reproduction Arts and Crafts rugs; 18th and 19th-century Wilton and Brussels carpets
Pillows/Bedding/Tapestry: includes also table runners; candlewicking
Historical Fabrics and Trimming: historical and reproduction fabrics of various periods
A catchy advertising jingle for tableware in the late 1960s celebrated “casual living” by “tearing down drapes, letting the sun shine all around.”There you had it, Modernist sentiment about textiles in the home! Casual living was good: it was youthful, healthy, contemporary. Its antithesis involved drapes (and, presumably, upholstery, trim, and lace tablecloths, which were bad: formal, old-fashioned, stuffy, uptight. It’s no wonder recent generations are afraid to buy fabric.
Curtains and carpets, pillows and fringe add softness, comfort, and texture. They muffle sound. They round out a dominant color scheme, or introduce spots of accent and contrast. They suggest a style or period by their design, color, volume, material, and trimmings. A house without textiles is just architecture, not yet furnished.
Although the best late-Victorian rooms are heavily layered, textiles do not have to be excessive to be effective. The homespun, damasks, and quilts of early American interiors added color and comfort without fussiness. Similarly, the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century relied on textiles including appliqued pillows, embroidered window curtains and portieres (or interior doorway curtains), stenciled table scarves, and plush carpets.
Drapery is perhaps the most significant use of historical fabric. Your windows and room proportions, and the style of the house, suggest appropriate treatments. But there’s no need to exactly re-create extravagant drapery. (For one thing, most people would faint at the bill for materials and labor to produce the opulent treatments of the Empire and mid-Victorian periods.) Imagine a glass curtain (or under-curtain) of sheer fabric or lace hung next to the sash, overlaid with panels in a lovely fabric hanging from rings on a simple wood or brass rod. If taste demands and budget allows, a fabric lambrequin or upholstered cornice could be mounted at the head (top). Layered treatments can be done in stages; they allow for sun and ventilation and will fit most budgets. If you’re used to naked windows, you won’t believe what they do for a period room. Antique decorating books suggested that money be spent on the “public rooms”—entry, parlor, dining room, library perhaps. But these days, it’s likely the bedroom that will get a big share of the textile budget.
