Fabric Choice for Window Covering Hinges Partially on Design
Just as there is no “right” look for window fashion today, there are also more choices in fabric than ever before. Today there is huge variety for fabric choice for window covering available and dizzying array of fabric options allows local homeowners to personalize window covering styles. No matter what style you prefer for your Simi Valley window covering, you will want to explore the world of available fabrics.
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Polyester or Linen: Which Is Right for your Window Coverings?
Although there is no single choice that is appropriate for all situations, there are qualities of each fabric to recommend its use in specific situations. For the classic, simple, tailored window fashions that are popular in California homes today, either natural linen or a modern version of manmade polyester are appropriate options.
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A Traditional Favorite
Linen is “green.” As a natural fiber, linen has a long history and has been used for clothing and home fashions for thousands of years because of its strength, durability and good looks. Today, linen is more popular than ever, because it is perceived as sustainable, eco-friendly, biodegradable and recyclable. It is naturally stain-resistant, “breathes,” and tends to soften with use. It retains its beauty over time, repels insects, is non-allergenic and stands up well to UV rays.
It dries quickly when wet, but it wrinkles. Linen is not recommended for damp or humid areas because it attracts mold and mildew, and the fibers stretch and shrink with weather changes. Natural linen also tends to be expensive.
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Not your Grandma’s Polyester
Polyester fabrics today are not the shiny, obviously synthetic laboratory creations of the seventies. In fact, they are the great impersonators in home decor, and can stand in well for silk, cotton, suede and, yes, for linen. Blends offer the best features of each, and are often the perfect choice for the design you wish to achieve. No matter what type of window fashion you choose, whether sheer or opaque, simple or ornate, you can find a polyester option to your liking. Your window decor consultant can advise you about the relative advantages of natural and manmade fibers.
Define your Needs
While an emerging trend in window decor shows increasing preference for simple design and natural materials, your choice of fabric will depend, at least partially, on whether you choose simple shades, modern blinds, classic shutters, wall-to-wall draperies or a combination of treatments.
Linen might be just the thing for a simple fabric panel hung from a small curtain rod. However, in a large space that requires an entire wall of drapes, or for Roman shades that will be adjusted frequently, a blend of polyester and linen is an economical as well as a stylish and practical option. Even a 10 percent polyester blend offers many advantages.
Contemporary window covering decor tends to be classic, tailored and low-maintenance. It is entirely possible to achieve the look of natural linen and still embrace the strong, durable, colorful and wrinkle-free qualities of modern polyester. Whatever you choose, select materials that will give you lasting pleasure and years of use.
