Soft furnishings include curtains, cushions, bedspreads, and quilts that add color, pattern and texture to interior spaces. Curtains provide privacy, reduce noise and heat loss, and come in different materials like cotton, silk, and synthetics. They are hung from rods or tracks and should be at least 1.5 times the window width. Loose covers protect upholstered furniture and come in various fabrics that can be laundered or dry cleaned. Cushions, blankets, and bedspreads provide comfort and warmth and are available in natural and synthetic materials.
2. SoftFurnishings
Soft furnishings include curtains, loose covers, cushions, bedspreads and quilts.(not
carpets).
They have colour, pattern and texture and add to the interior decoration of the room.
They give protection, warmth, and comfort Fabric/ material used are of prime
importance. Natural fabrics like cotton, silk, velvet, wool are used.
Nowadays synthetic materials like terelyne, acrylic, rayon are also used.
3. CURTAINS
Functions of curtains are:
Give privacy
Darken the room
Bring character by colour, pattern and
texture
Reduce heat loss
Reduce noise levels inside the room
4.
5. Curtains
The life expectancy of the fabric depends on the exposure to sunlight and
degree of soiling , these causes fading and rotting of fabric and colours.
Curtains have high fire risk due to combustible material. A fire retardant finish
should be given .
Curtains should hold shape properly and drape well. They can be suspended
from a horizontal rod or a transverse track made of metal, wood or plastic.
The width of curtains should be 1.5 times that of width of window. The
curtains may extend to both sides of window.
6. Curtain
They may be of height of window, from window top to floor, from
ceiling to floor.
These all have different effects on the look of the room.
They are fixed to rod by hooks or rings.
The base of curtains should remain at least 1.5- 2 cm above the
floor so that do not get dirty.
Different pattern on fabrics are used to give different effects.
7. Good
Curtains
Good curtains are usually lined. Lining means heavy curtains have a light
curtain attached to it. Heavy curtains face the room side.
Sheer/ light curtains face the window side/ sunlight.
Light curtains are of light colours (white/ cream/ baize) as light colours do not
fade During day time only sheer / light curtains are drawn.
During night for privacy heavy curtains should be drawn. For public areas,
lobby, restaurant rich, colourful, expensive and heavy curtains are used. For
room light colours, less expensive material can be used. For bathroom
curtains made of plastic / glass are used.
8.
9. NON
DRAWING
CURTAINS
NON DRAWING CURTAINS
These cannot be drawn like fabric curtains.
These are of following types:
Roller blinds roman blinds
venetian blinds
Shades bamboo shades
wooden shutters
Screen fabric on wooden frame
11. PELMET,
VALENCE,
SWAG
Pelmet: they are rigid, made of wood, hard board.
May be painted or polished. They are used to hide
the rod. Now a day’s pelmets are not used.
Valence: a valance is made of frilled or pleated
material and hangs from a valance rail.
Swag: it is a draped finish to hide the curtain
heading and is frequently completed with a tail.
13. NET
CURTAINS
NET CURTAINS
They are sheer or light curtains. It softens or
diffuses the light coming in the room.
There should be sufficient weight at the bottom
for proper drape.
They are 2 to 3 times the width of window.
White/ pale: patterned / plain material of cotton /
manmade fabric are used to make net curtains
14. CAREAND
CLEANINGOF
CURTAINS
Keep rod and track free from dust with help of broom / vacuum cleaner.
Shake the curtains often. Use vacuum cleaner to suck the dust.
Reverse the position of curtains frequently.
Have lined curtains dry cleaned.
Have unlined curtains laundered.
Solvent spray extraction machines may be used
15. LOOSE
COVERS
Loose covers are detachable / removable covers fitted over
upholstered chairs, stools, and sofa.
They give a clean fresh look to the room but needs maintenance.
They are used to protect the original fixed upholstery.
They are tailored or fixed under chair.
They are fastened by hooks and eyes, zip, touch and loose
fasteners.
16. LOOSECOVERS
Closely woven fabric is preferred for loose covers as it does not
allow dust to filter through.
The material should not crease easily.
They are available in a variety of patterns and texture.
They can be laundered or dry-cleaned.
Antimascarrars: they are used to protect upholstered furniture
and shield the arms and back of sofa.
18. CUSHIONS
They are used to increase the comfort of chair or sofa.
They come in various shapes, size, and are filled with down, kapok, foam, plastic, cotton.
The shapes can be rectangle, square, cylinder.
19. BLANKETS
Blankets provide warmth in bed.
Often white/ pale/ light coloured blankets are used.
Top/ edges/ border are often binded.
They have good insulation, ease of cleaning, and non inflammable.
They are made of wool, synthetic material or mixtures or cotton.
Cotton blankets are used in hospitals.
Take precaution against moths and rodents.
Repair ends immediately.
22. QUILTS, DUVET
QUILTS
They are light bed coverings but expensive .
They are placed under bedspread.
DUVET
They are used extensively.
They have replaced blankets.
They are generally filled with synthetic fibers or polyester fibers.
23. BEDSPREAD
They are used to cover bed during day.
They are removed during night/ evening service, folded and put away.
Their colour and pattern must suit the décor of the room and match / contrast the
colour of curtain and carpet
They may be fitted on bed or it can be of throw over type.
They may have frills/ pleats to within an inch of the floor.
Materials like satin, velvet, tapestry, candlewick are used to make bedspreads.
