Fabric is everywhere; it is versatile, able to be used in a variety of situations, providing aesthetic beauty along with common functionality. It operates as both, a two-sided substance, applied in a multitude of ways throughout our everyday environment. Textiles are seen most frequently in six forms, ranging from use on the floor to application on the walls. Each use individual, unique, and designed specifically for the room it is placed in and in turn, the building it is placed in. By simply walking around the Texas Tech campus one can easily see the application of fabric in these six ways.
First, fabric can be used as an art form, whether it is the canvas that an artist paints on or the arrangement of pieces of fabrics as art itself. In this case, there is a piece of wall art found in a friend’s dorm room. It is basically just strips of multi-colored fabric placed side by side to create almost a collage. But it ties together a common scheme of colors in a new and unusual way, becoming an eye-popping room decoration.
Second, one of the most common uses of fabric is as drapery. Seen in most homes and even commercial spaces, fabric is used as curtains. Their basic use is to block sun rays from entering a space, but they can also be used to control room temperature, and allow privacy for the inhabitants. Curtains in particular, can be made from almost any available fabrics, based on the need and purpose. Drapery can range from sheer flowing white curtains in a beach home to the exact opposite with thick heavy dark hanging curtains in a hotel room or more regal space. The curtains featured in the picture, are used in the dorms to block the sun and offer privacy at night when the room lights are on. They are fairly thin and made of cotton to make it more cost friendly and easier for that lifestyle. They represent just one of the many options one has when using drapery.
Third, fabric can be used as just a wall covering, taking the place of paint and even wallpaper. It can be maneuvered to create a certain affect or atmosphere in a room. Obviously, by using cloth to cover the walls, one has a variety of color choices, much like regular paint. However, by choosing to use fabric you allow for more texture to be incorporated in the space. In the dorms, fabric is hung on the walls to soften the cold demeanor of the rooms, and to also distract the inhabitant from the drab and uniform color and arrangement of these rooms, which is the exact purpose of the purple wall sheet featured in the image.
Another use of fabric is evitable to everyone literally anywhere, if one takes the time to look around at their surroundings. Every time you take a seat, maybe at a dining table or in your favorite lounge chair, you are enjoying a use of fabric. Most chairs whether they are fully covered or only require a covered cushion, involve cloth in one way, shape, or form. The use of fabric in chairs is mainly use to promote comfort, and in some instances, yes, durability. In this case, the black and red leather bound chairs, are done to provide student of the Human Sciences College a comfortable place to study, but also a seat that adds to the décor around it, matching the schools well-known team colors. Luckily however, chairs, couches, ottomans, and so on can be made, upholstered with any fabric that fits you.
Similarly, floor coverings that we walk on everyday are made with fabric. This use of fabric ranges from the usual carpeting to the basic rug, all the way to the elaborate highly- priced Persian rugs. Floor coverings can be used for comfort, temperature control, and protection of the actual flooring beneath it. The picture above shows a simple woven rug used to distract from the red brick beneath it, giving the room a warmer softer feel and also taking away from the rough and natural look and feel of brick.
Last but not least, fabric used as panels. Panels are very versatile and can be placed almost anywhere. They can be used on the floor, on the walls, even on the ceilings. The most common use of cloth-covered panels on the wall and ceiling are for atmospheric effect, usually having to do with sound quality. Another use of fabric panels, as shown, is as panels that double as partition walls, stood upright from the ground. Usually these panels are attached to wheels to make them easily mobile and are arranged in various ways to section of a certain area. However, the possibilities of panels are endless.
As mentioned, these six uses for fabric are seen everywhere in our day to day lives. We tend to take them for granted and are not aware of their purpose and or effect on what we do or experience. Regardless, they are around, in our homes, offices, public spaces, making things more comfortable, more appeasing, perhaps more useful; whether it be to cover our windows or decorate our living rooms.
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