Oxford Dictionary – a woollen cloth woven in one of several patterns of coloured checks and intersecting lines, especially of a design associated with a particular Scottish clan: stripes and tartans have replaced floral chintzes.
Love it or hate it – we’ll there’s a question to be asked. Tartan wool has been around for centuries but has recently become incredibly popular in respect of home interiors as it seems to be everywhere! Why you might ask – well maybe most designer fabric companies have woken up to its versatility within soft furnishings. You might think it’ll end up being a “one hit wonder” but within my professional capacity, over the years, assisting my clients with their interior design requirements I’ve always embraced plaids and have had the good fortune of being able to pass on my enthusiasm for such a fabric. A massive bonus right now is that I find myself having an array of wools to offer from fabric companies like Isle Mill, Art of the Loom, Abraham Moon, Arthur Sanderson, Zoffany, Ian Sanderson, Colefax & Fowler, Warwick, Harlequin and Mulberry to name a few with a price range starting at a very respectable £42.00 a metre. There are of course other tartan themed fabrics out there offering cotton and linen mix and even pure silk for those who have a wool allergy. You can even find wallpapers, lampshades, rugs, carpets and many home accessories allowing the tartan theme to be used in so many different aspects within any home.
Tartan plaids have the ability to pull a multitude of colour, texture and pattern to any room scheme lifting what might sometimes be quite a bland canvas. It creates a connection pulling together other fabrics within any chosen scheme even if it’s just a “hint” for example upholstered on a footstool or used as scatter cushions. It really works well with chenille’s, linens and leathers creating what I call a great working relationship.
I am of the opinion that it’s just lovely to be supporting British manufacturing as most of the wools we offer are still loomed within our last remaining mills based in Great Britain. We’ve been so successful in dare I say bringing the Highlands down to Northamptonshire that in 2013 we launched “Thistles – a little taste of tartan” and have dedicated part of our Showroom to the Thistles Studio. This move has been a godsend to all our clients as they can now visually admire and touch the wools that we have on our sofas, chairs, footstools, curtains and roman blinds. All who visit marvel at just how so many different colours of plaids all somehow work together and then they’re hooked providing confidence in such a fabric. One thing I’ve not mentioned so far is just how hard wearing wool actually is therefore becomes a good investment when upholstered onto furniture and wool also drapes beautifully when made into curtains and roman blinds with not one crease to be seen!
Most tartans come in the form of a check but stripes, paisley and herringbone wools are also out there accommodating all styles of interiors from modern contemporary to the traditional classics. There is a myth that wool depicts itchy, hot and looks like a picnic blanket well maybe back in the 70’s! Having viewed our wool fabrics (some feeling like cashmere) most of our clients are easily swayed giving me personal satisfaction that I’ve achieved my mission – tartan, tweeds and all the wool family are not only fantastic fabrics of the past but also very much for the future!
Still not sure? I hope the following pictures will change your mind!
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Posted on 30th March 2016
We are excited to announce that we have recently had a Google Virtual Tour completed of our Showroom and Workshop, so no...