From closets to walls: The power of fabric in interior design

Upon entering the home of a teacher couple in the capital's Japan Garden City, you are met with a piece of crimson red fabric on the ceiling. The stretched fabric is framed in wooden panels and mounted on the ceiling of the foyer, providing the neutral space with a much-needed pop of colour. 

As you walk further into their house, and into their bedroom, you will find a framed saree that is close to the couple's hearts — it was once worn by the husband's mother. The pale cream white of the saree adds a soothing warmth. And immediately you realise that fabrics such as your mother's saree hold a lot of memories. It is able to achieve something that no wallpaper, coat of paint, or a three-panel painting can: it makes the space undoubtedly theirs.

Designed by Archarium, an interior design firm, the interior of the house does not compromise on warmth and emotions. 

"I tasked Archarium with achieving aesthetics without turning it into a mere showpiece. We aimed for a perfect fusion of visual appeal and functionality," expressed the owner of the apartment, who preferred to stay anonymous for the sake of privacy. 

Fabrics are able to add a homely feel to spaces while acting as a functional addition to the interior. Beyond upholstery and curtains, fabrics, whether it is a sentimental piece like your mother's saree, a special Kashmiri shawl, a silk scarf, or just a simple cotton fabric, can be used in many ways. They can be mounted on ceilings, walls or windows. 

Framed ‘Savana Dance’, a vibrant Hermes scarf featuring a cheetah and a monkey, easily turns into the focal point of the entire room. Photo: JWT Interiors

Though they are a relatively new addition to homes, they could become a cost efficient or even a priceless piece that fills your walls with stories. 

Ways to repurpose sarees and other fabric

In Banani, next to Archarium's office space, there is an unfinished building, which looks a bit unappealing from inside the office. Despite wanting to fill the office with light, Architect Nazirul Asif also appreciated privacy in his workspace. 

So, he went for a middle ground — he decided to use panels lined with cotton, mounted them on the glass window and let the light spill into the space.

"Fabric has a much more functional use in my office space; it does not cut off the light source but it also helps maintain privacy," shared Asif. "In spaces where you do not need full separation, like in a restaurant or inside an office, fabrics can be a cost-efficient option."

Fabric naturally has a softness and sheerness to it, so when it is used to create separation in a space, it does not create a completely opaque divide.

This concept is even used internationally to create functional spaces. For example, New York-based production company LOGAN utilises fabric to create sheer walls that divide work areas visually, yet still keep a sense of a shared work environment intact. And let us not forget the closet interior of Heart Evangelista, where she framed her precious Hermes scarves that she has been collecting for years, and mounted them on walls.    

But fabrics that hold history, such as sarees and scarves, do not have to be limited to the borders of a frame. With a bit of handwork, you can use the unique patterns and vibrant colours to add more personality to your space with pieces such as pillow covers and curtains. Since pillow covers are a permanent part of your space, you can switch them up from time to time, and can wash them.

If you want to repurpose fabric with minimal work, then use them to create table covers, runners and placemats for your dining space. As the dining space is a common area where the family comes together for their meals, adding a personal touch seems like a no-brainer. 

Nazia Naf repurposed her Jamdani saree into curtains for the windows. Photo: Decor Apa

A sentimental statement

This whole journey began with the story of a saree that found its way on a wall instead of remaining stashed away in a closet. If the saree had remained folded and tucked away in between clothes, it would not only become forgotten, it could disintegrate faster as well. 

"The manner in which fabric was used in the teacher couple's home in Japan Garden City ultimately preserved the sarees," commented Asif. "When a piece of fabric stays folded and stored for a long time, the folds become brittle. After two to three generations pass, the fabric will tear."

But why would someone opt to put their special memories, in the form of fabric, on display in the first place? "Because it's home. You can always buy a house but you have to make a house a home with your touch," shared Asif. 

Fabric tends to achieve just that — it introduces a cosy softness to any space, making it feel just a little bit more like home. For that reason, Asif intentionally used the fabric in the foyer of the teacher couple's home to instill a sense of cosiness as soon as someone walks into the space. 

"Whenever I am working on a residential project, I always try to make the bedrooms feel personal. After all, bedrooms are the cosiest and most personal spaces in a home," he said. 

Paintings are usually an easy option to bring a space to life, but Asif opted for sentimental sarees as they remain as a physical reminder of the person who used to wear it while keeping the aesthetics of the room intact. 

When Asif had first requested the couple to trust him with a garment that was so special to them, he did not really expect them to agree. After all, he would need to cut it, changing the garment permanently. 

Although they surprisingly agreed, Asif says that usually, people are not open to such new ideas. This is especially true in the case of fabrics. 

"A lot of people in Bangladesh are afraid of using fabric as it easily gets dirty, and I don't blame them. You do have to maintain it. Since people lead very fast-paced and busy lives, it becomes a huge commitment," shared Asif. 

He believes that if the fabric can make your space more inviting and cosy, while remaining unique, then the time and energy invested in maintenance would be worth it. 

However, depending on the use and the material, as the fabric is exposed to the elements, it is expected to deteriorate over time, although the decomposition time will vary. Cotton takes up to five months to decompose and linen only takes about two weeks. However, polyester can take up to 200 years. 

But Asif firmly stands behind the use of fabric as it is, in fact, a green choice.

"It will deteriorate over time, but you can also look at it as an environmentally-friendly piece, as long as plastic is not used in it," shared Asif. "Even if it deteriorates, I think it's a loss if we still don't opt for it, in my opinion. Everything has a downside, but its perishability should not be stopping one from using a unique piece to create special spaces."

The crimson fabric, framed in wooden panels and mounted on the ceiling of the foyer, provides the neutral space with a much-needed pop of colour. Photo: Junaid Hasan Pranto

Maintenance that does not come at a high price

The beauty of using fabric in interior design is that it can be a cost-efficient yet priceless addition to your space. According to Asif, depending on the fabric, it will cost you barely Tk100 per square feet. However, if there is history weaved into its threads, you cannot put a price tag on it. 

While it does not cost a lot financially, it will cost you a bit of time and effort to maintain and preserve the fabric. Before incorporating the fabric in your space, you have to assess the space surrounding it. 

"Over many years, the wall behind it can become damp and it will affect anything in contact with it. We need to keep the back of the frame plastic, rather than any other material. See if the wall has a possibility of becoming damp and make sure the back of the frame is made of PVC or plastic," noted Asif.

Furthermore, if you want  the fabric to look pristine, then keeping it in an airtight space would be the best option. This will ensure that the fabric stays the same for years on end. 

Additionally, if you are using fabric for its functional uses instead, such as panels and partitions, then having a way to remove and clean them will ensure that the fabric looks pristine and clean throughout the years.