Photography Courtesy of Shutterstock Characterized by an elaborately ornate and highly adorned aesthetic that aims to inspire a sense of awe, Baroque is an extravagant and complex style of art and architecture associated with grandeur and luxury. Evoking ethereality through the use of unexpected and dramatic contrasts, Baroque décor often…
Fumed wood refers to a wood coloring process where the wood planks are exposed to ammonia gas. The ammonia reacts with the wood tannin and changes the wood color, usually to a darker gray-brown color. Fumed wood can also be referred to as ‘smoked wood’. White oak is one of…
A shirred drapery header is a simple gathering of fabric that is synched organically. The fabric can be gathered tightly to create a full and textured look, or it can be more spaced out to create a smooth and airy flow. With this header type, there is a bit of…
An accordion pleat is a drapery header type in which the fabric is formed into the shape of a sharp ‘Z’. The shape can be made by sewing the top of the fabric together and pressing, or it can be done with the use of hardware and pressing. An accordion…
A pencil pleat is a drapery header type that is composed of thin, evenly spaced pleats that are roughly the width of a pencil. This pleat type is similar to a pinch pleat, but with smaller pinched pleats. With a pencil pleat, the textile will have a tighter synch at…
The Mohs hardness scale is a scratch resistance test that can be applied to various minerals. It was created in 1812 by German geologist Friedrich Mohs and is one of several tests used to document mineral hardness. Minerals are rated on a scale of one through ten with each number…
A photochromic material is an object or substance that is capable of reversibly changing in color or shade from light exposure. This reversible process includes brightening or darkening from a high sufficient frequency of light such as ultraviolet radiation. In the absence of activating light, photochromic materials could return to…
The Janka hardness test is used to determine the strength of wood by measuring the resistance to denting and wear. The test method was developed by Gabriel Janka in 1906 and measures the force needed to embed a 11.28mm steel ball haft its depth into the sample of wood. In…
A flat pleat is the most common drapery header as it requires no actual pleating. It allows the textile to naturally hang with a flowy and relaxed aesthetic. Curtains with flat pleats can be hung using hardware such as rod and rings, an exposed track, a hidden track with cornice,…
A rod pocket, also called a pole top or casement, is a drapery header that is sewn at the top of the fabric in order to make a pocket in which a rod can slip through. This creates a space where the rod can be hidden and hung with no…
A pinch pleat is a drapery header that involves pinching together two to five measured out pleats and sewing them together so that they synch together at the top. The most common pinch pleat is a three-finger pinch pleat, or a French pleat, which takes three measured out pleats and…
Balanced laminate construction refers to the balancing—or “counter-balancing—of a laminate assembly that equalizes the forces acting on both faces of the substrate to prevent warping, buckling, or delamination. Laminate—which is made of layers of Kraft paper and resin—is not sturdy enough to support itself and so must be adhered or…
A goblet pleat is a drapery header type that involves forming a circle with the top few inches of the curtain, and then pinching together a few inches below to form three pleats. This type of pleat is a hybrid of a cartridge pleat and a pinch pleat. The pleats…
A ripplefold is a drapery header style that uses snaps to form the drapery into the shape of a loose ‘S’. The ripple that is formed at the header then flows to the bottom of the drapery, creating a uniform look from top to bottom. Most commonly, a ripplefold header…
An Inverted pleat is a common drapery header type that adds texture and depth to the textile, while turning the fullness of the curtain inward. It is the reverse of a box pleat, which is made while taking depth, underlay, and spacing into account. Inverted pleats involve two folds that…
A cubicle header is a simple gathering of drapery fabric that is hung in a way that it is easy to remove from the track or rod in order for regular cleaning. A common cubicle header is seen in privacy curtains that are used in medical settings. With this type…
A grommet, sometimes referred to as an eyelet, is a type of circular hardware that can be included into a variety of drapery headers. It reinforces the hole in the fabric and allows for an easy hang on a rod. The grommets are typically metal and are evenly spaced out…
A cartridge pleat is a drapery header type that uses rolls which create a template for loose waves to flow throughout the rest of the curtain. From an aerial view, the fabric simply looks like a zig zag with rounded edges. A cartridge pleat creates a layered and tailored aesthetic.…
Explore Materials and Sample Xorel is a proprietary textile from Carnegie that is sustainably made with extruded, solution-dyed yarns. This textile was originally used as a high-performance woven wallcovering, but it has since been used on a variety of products including upholstery, acoustic tiles, tackable panels, headboards, lighting, and movable…
Explore Materials and Sample Bleach cleanable is a common cleaning instruction for textiles. It usually comes with detailed dilution instructions as well as the applicable bleach type. There are two different types of bleach: chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach or non-chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach can disinfect, oxidize, and deodorize textiles,…
Explore Materials and Sample Latex is an emulsion polymer produced from natural or synthetic materials. Natural latex is most commonly made from the soft white substance beneath the bark of a mature rubber tree while synthetic latex is made from petroleum-based chemicals. Both types of latex go through various processes…
Explore Materials and Sample Fosshield is an ion-based antimicrobial performance finish developed by Foss Performance Material. Fosshield utilizes both silver and copper ion to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew, and fungus when applied to fabric, polymers, and rubber. Fosshield can also be used to produce FDA-approved N95 surgical…
Explore Materials and Sample Live sawn is a cutting technique in which wood logs are sliced through directly without turning the log. This is considered the most efficient way to cut lumber as it yields little to no waste and utilizes the most out of a log. Live sawn cut…
Explore Materials and Sample Wool is a natural protein staple fiber that is produced by sheep. As is a biodegradable fiber, wool is a renewable resource that can be reprocessed and recycled. Wool has been grown for textile use for over 8,000 years and is most often used in upholstery…
Explore Materials and Sample Linen is a durable natural cellulose staple fiber that is created from the stems of the flax plant. Grown across the globe for over 30,000 years, linen textiles are durable, lightweight, and breathable. Linen is commonly used in bedding, upholstery, and apparel. The process used to manufacture…
