Silk has long been understood to be one of the most historically important and luxurious textiles used in interior design. Some of the cities and regions on the ancient silk route are Damasacus (where we derive the word “damask”), Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand, and the Taklamakan Desert. But today, silk can be purchased from any of the luxury fabric lines that we carry. It is used in various ways throughout our design projects and always inspires us with its beauty and strength, as well as its ability to take and hold dye. The ability to hold true to color is one of the things that makes silk so desirable and valuable.
The most common and practical function for silk is fabrication into bedding and draperies. Most silks lend themselves beautifully to intricate drapery design; the fuller the better! The hand and “drape-ability” is fabulous. I do recommend that they are lined with a blackout lining and that you use interlining, as the sun does tend to fade them (especially on West-facing windows).
I am currently working on a huge project that involves the extensive use of silks in various treatments and fabrications throughout the design of the home. I have had a beautiful Lee Jofa Damask paper back to be applied on the walls in the entry with a coordinating stripe running down the hallway. We are using a large custom Oscar De La Renta print silk in the drawing room for fabulous, period-specific window treatments. There are silk Velvets, silk sheers, a tailored bed skirt…on and on!
Also just finished this home design, in which I mixed all patterns and colors of silk together to give this home a real “country English” feel. Some of the finest textiles available were used on this job. The bed hangings were made of three different silks plus a silk trim: spectacular! See what I mean about the countless possible uses for silk?!
Be sure to tune in next month for more Textiles!!
Kelli Wilson is the creative mind behind Kelli Wilson Consulting. She is the resident designer at Designer Effects, a to-the-trade fabric showroom located in Little Rock.
