Soft furnishings - interior Decoration

the slides are about interior decoration . use of soft furnishings in hotels, curtains, style of curtains, loose covers, cushions, bedspread, runners, how to make hotel rooms more attractive

1. SOFT FURNISHINGS curtains, loose covers, cushions, bedspread, Dr. B havya Khamesra

2. 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. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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

8. PELMET, VALENCE, SWAG Palmet: 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. 

9. 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.

10. Net curtains

11. CARE AND CLEANING OF 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. Care and cleaning of loose covers: Shake and tidy frequently, brush or suction regularly Attend to repairs have laundered or dry-cleaned as required

15. 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.  

16. 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.  

17. woolen Are attacked by moth Are warm / inflammable Have to be dry-cleaned Synthetic-acrylic/ nylon Are warm light in weight Have low moisture absorbency Can be laundered/ washed

18. 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.

19. 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.  

20. runner