Material World Blog

For a number of years now grey has been the neutral colour of choice be it a paint colour, upholstery fabric, curtain fabric or in the finishes of your home. Colour trends for curtain fabric and upholstery fabric are constantly evolving. They are a reflection of the current events in the world, be it political, economical, social or environmental. Therefore COVID-19 has had a huge impact to these trends as we spend more time at home.   Photos courtesy of James Dunlop Textiles showcases the use of warmer greys teamed with beige. There has been a shift to warmer greys with beiges increasing again in popularity. Greys haven’t disappeared as they are the most neutral of neutrals being a combination of black and white. We are seeing warmer earthy tones as they create a sense of calm and wellbeing. Often these neutrals are being combined with bold splashes of colour or more pastel shades to enliven your interiors. Ikigai by Mokum, note the soft pastels and light neutrals There will always be a place for greys as with whites but we are definitely moving on. If you would like to discuss the current colour trends, get in touch with one of our decorators. Architects by James Dunlop (now discontinued) adding a bold splash of colour.

At Material World, we have always loved our linen curtains. At the moment they are more popular than ever and for a few good reasons! Natural & Non-Allergenic Linen is made from the flax plant and is a natural fibre rather than man made like many polyester curtains these days. The flax plant produces no waste and has a range of by-products from linseed oil to flax seeds and paper pulp and linen actually uses less resources to produce than many other fibres so it is great for the environment. As linen is non-allergenic, linen curtains are a great choice for asthma and allergy sufferers. In the past, linen bandages were a go to choice for dressing wounds thanks to it's anti-bacterial properties as well. Nature's Thermostat Linen curtains make for a great window barrier to help control temperature. Thanks to it's natural weave it is thermoregulating. That means it will keep you cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Timeless and Elegant As modern and in demand as ever despite having been used for thousands of years, linen fabrics can be incredibly long lasting if cared for correctly. In fact, when the tomb of Tutankhamen was opened, the linen curtains were still intact! Linens are a great way to add a touch of class to any room and whilst there are many man made fabrics that attempt to replicate it, you just can't beat the natural slubby look and smooth feel of linen. Each time you wash it, Linen is one of the few fabrics out there that will continue to get softer.       Stunning range of 100% linen fabrics from Mokum Textiles including Eternal, Satori Stonewash & Ocean. Whats the catch? There's a few reasons we don't use linens everywhere (although linen does make for great bedding and upholstery fabrics as well!). The main reasons we would recommend caution and the right advice when using linen fabrics are: Linen curtains can move! Linens can hold around 20% of their weight in water and will often move by up to 3%. We have seen curtains move by 10cm literally overnight so we always recommend a puddling drape to avoid this issue. Linen curtains can be more expensive. This is a common belief out there but we have recently seen the introduction of much lower cost linen fabrics. Pure linen fabrics can start from well under $100 per meter and linen blends can be half of that. You need to protect Linen curtainsfrom the sun. The Australian sun can be tough on any fabric. We would always recommend lining your linen curtains to ensure you maximise their life span.

If you are looking for a cost effective way of finishing a window and for reducing the harshness of the summer suns glare, or for privacy from prying eyes, then roller blinds are a great choice. There are what I like to think of as 3 categories of roller blinds: Sunscreen Roller Blinds Sunscreen or sheer roller blinds are used to cut down UV rays whilst still enjoying the view. They don’t offer much in the way of privacy at night time. Light Filtering Roller Blinds Light filtering (or translucent) fabrics allow light to filter through whilst offering more privacy. Shadows are all one can see and you do need to be up close for even that. Blockout Roller Blinds   Blockout blind fabrics are perfect for a bedroom or media room situation where you want to reduce any light coming in. The only light that filters through these are at the small gaps at side and top so are great for sleeping or watching that movie on a lazy afternoon. These can be coupled with side channels or a headbox to reduce light even more. Often our clients will opt for dual blinds so they have the best of both worlds. You can commonly combine either blockout and sunscreen or blockout and translucent. Dual blinds come with special brackets so that they aren't overly bulky. Roller blinds aren’t always boring as they can be come in some lovely textured fabrics that give a softer more luxe look to any room and can be customised in a range of patterns and colours to fit any interior. We can even use your own design and have it custom printed onto the roller blind fabric! Roller blinds aren’t always boring because we can motorise them. You can easily retrofit motorisation as both hardwired and battery powered motor options are available. You can be as lazy as you please and add your blinds to your home automation system or voice assistant. We recommend Somfy motors and offer a range of motors from other providers as well. Great for the tech heads or those that just like convenience. At Material World we have also worked with a number of NDIS providers to assist with a motorised window furnishing solution for clients with a disability. Drop in and see the ranges or let one of our decorators come to you for a free measure and quote.

Soft roman blinds will decorate a window and are a great solution in windows where you have limited space for curtains. This could be because you have a piece of furniture against the window, like in this dining area below… Pictured: Roman blind in Posy Ink by Ashley Wilde Fabrics (discontinued) Or it could be because the windows are small and curtains might look out of place or it is a difficult window that doesn’t suit other window finishes. Pictured: Custom roman blind Soft roman blinds can be made in a huge number of curtain fabrics, they can be block out lined or cotton/poly lined to let light through. This means that they can also be made to match your curtains. This is a great option when you have a small window in the same space as a sliding door for example.  Pictured: Roman blind and curtains made in matching fabric Roman Blinds allow for most of the window to be exposed when opened, and have limited light bleed when closed. They can be a very elegant alternative to roller blinds. If coordinating with roller blinds though, another option is to make a roman blind using a roller blind fabric.   Pictured: Roman blind in On The Wire by James Dunlop Textiles

Many of us decorate our walls with art works where there is space. Many of us however only see curtain and upholstery fabrics as just serving a utilitarian purpose. Why not turn your windows into works of art? Are you brave enough to go beyond a plain or textured fabric and move into the realms of pattern? Get the benefits of curtains whilst injecting some colour and design into your home. From the more subdued abstract to brighter and bolder prints the choice really is endless. Here are just a few fabrics that could fire the imagination. Consider a watercolour effect to introduce some bright and funky colours… Pictured: Big Archie by Bluebellgrey Or bring nature inside with these stunning aviary designs…  Pictured: The Conservatory by James Dunlop Textiles Pictured: Blenheim by James Dunlop Textiles You can also get creative with sheer fabrics as seen below with Peninsula from Warwick Fabrics. This illustrates how you can introduce a pattern whilst keeping a neutral colour scheme for a very elegant look! Pictured: Peninsula by Warwick Fabrics Still not sure where to start? The decorators here at Material World can certainly recommend fabrics that will suit your home, furnishings and lifestyle.

With the advent of so many apartment blocks on both the Upper and Lower North Shore of Sydney we have had many clients need our assistance. Many of these apartments often have blinds to block out but so often I am asked if we can soften the space, give more blockout, reduce traffic noise or something with a bit more thermal quality especially during summer with hot west facing windows. Curtains have continued in popularity as they address all these issues. The most popular combination has been blockout blinds and then a lovely billowy sheer curtain to soften the room and they do this brilliantly. Pictured: Sheer s/wave curtains in Allusion bv Zepel Fabrics. There are a number of different curtain styles with s/wave still ever popular for its uniformity. You can also choose from the inverted box pleat for a neat finish, or knife pleat for a little less structured look. If heat, light or sound are also an issue, then a lined curtain works well to better insulate the room and reduce noise. Pictured: Sheer inverted box pleated curtains in Laconia Air bv James Dunlop Textiles. There are so many wonderful fabrics and accessories to choose from. Some of our favourites include “Timeless” – a beautiful art deco style embroidered sheer and “Linesta” – a stunning chunky Italian linen. Drop into the showroom and let us help you make a selection to fit your home and your budget. Whether you are on the upper or lower North Shore or in Orange, Material World can make sure you get the right, local advice for your windows. Pictured: Timeless by James Dunlop Textiles. Pictured: Linesta bv Warwick Fabrics.