ABOUT WHITE SHADES OF WHITE AND VARIATIONS IN NET CURTAIN FABRICS
A whiter shade of white. Where does white end, and where does it begin?
White is the brightest colour visible to the human eye. Each of us has certainly experienced the unevenness of white and the difficulty of combining various shades of this colour into one coherent aesthetic whole. Shades of white differ only slightly from one other, and it is only in the context of another colour that this difference becomes visible. The variations of white in colour charts cover what is usually referred to as the neutral colour scheme. Manufacturers of paints, dyes, but also ceramics and textiles compete with one another to come up with ever more illustrative terms for the components of the off-white, achromatic colour palette. This is why the colours considered to be “shades of white” are often defined by well-known, perception-guiding associations. Thus, you may come across snow white, cream white, flaxen white, vanilla white, but also ivory white, milky white or chalky white. Each language independently creates its own connotations for the shades of white. Nowadays, some English words have become familiar to Polish customers, for instance: snow, azure, seashell, ivory, linen or antiquewhite. They no longer surprise anyone, and they make it easy to find the colour you are looking for.
The whole reason for this white-related terminology is that the colour is not precisely defined on the chromatic scale and has a wide range of variants that can be perceived by the human eye, depending on the amount of light, adjacent colours and the material involved. Thus, it can be said that white is not always white, bearing in mind that even the lighting in a room can cause white to be perceived as devoid of whiteness.
Cornucopia of net curtains.
The world of textiles is particularly abundant in various shades of white, as the textures and the degree of transparency of fabrics significantly influence perception. The same white pigment used to dye fibre woven into a fabric will produce a completely different effect in the case of cotton, linen, polyester or viscose yarn. The type of yarn twist, the kind of weave, the density of the fabric or, finally, the finishing effect will always result in a different shade of white. These possibilities have been perfectly employed by the textile industry in creating a multitude of solutions for contemporary interiors, especially when it comes to window coverings, such as net curtains, very common in Poland. Fabrics placed in the windows are intended to bring intimacy to the household members, while providing access to light and visibility of what is outside. In this case, the textile itself is additionally “filtered” by the penetrating light, depending on the time of day and year, and by the movement of air. Given the modern technological advancements, we can now obtain various decorative effects on fabrics and choose from an entire range of design solutions. It goes without saying that everyone will find something that will be tailored to their practical requirements and stylistic tastes.
The traditional dictionary definition of a net curtain, stating that it is a decorative covering for a window, usually white, and most often made from a delicate fabric such as tulle, batiste or lace, is hardly exhaustive.
This is because today we can choose from a whole spectrum of transparent and semi-transparent fabrics with various compositions: from traditional polyester, popular and extremely easy to maintain, through linen, cotton, nettle fibres, to the most supple blends of natural and synthetic fibres with an admixture of viscose. The traditionally used tulle and batiste have been made more attractive today through the use of various modern techniques, such as machine embroidery, laser cutting or sparse interlacing in the form of irregular, impressive nets, or a combination of all these methods.
A transparent milky cream colour creates a cosy, hazy diffusion of bright light. The effect depends on the fibre blends, the subtlety of the tones and the micro texture on the surface of the fabric. Subtle tones of plain linens and cottons, natural colours in texturally mixed weaves, are brought out with every change of light.
Embellished with embroidery.
Transparent textiles decorated with spherical or wavy patterns enhance the effect of diffused rays, at the same time visualising air movement and creating particularly interesting light and shade effects on wall and floor surfaces. Swaying freely or slightly, they bring a breath of fresh air into the room.
By selecting a suitable off-white colour of the covering, it is possible to adjust the brightness of the interior. The closer to the optical white, the more light will enter the room, and the creamier the white, the softer and more scattered the light will be. Colours certainly influence light transmission. In the same group of fabrics, light colours transmit about 20-30% more light than dark ones. We can opt for delicate crystalline white, which definitely refreshes the interior, but also filters the light, making it cooler.
Translucent polyester decorative fabric with a distinctive sheen decorated with beautiful, delicate hourglass pattern. Its advantage is the economic height of about 312 cm. Recommended for classic and modern interiors for airy sheer curtains.
Burnout & Laser Cut
Transparency of textiles does not always mean the same thing, but it is always associated with purity, lightness, freshness and the absence of barriers to vision. The most commonly used synonyms of transparency are terms such as: clean, translucent, openwork, clear, bright, crystal, crystalline. The latter associations are related to the effect of the laser burnout technique used in textiles.
Delicate decorative fabric, with irregular, dynamic model created by perforations with a slightly ragged outline. Ebony and Esprit are an alternative to traditional, smooth curtains. Their somewhat austere, modern character fits perfectly into the trend inspired by nature. Fabrics are available in seven muted, natural colours in the economic height of 325 cm.
Like a drawing on glass.
A semi-transparent decorative fabric with a modern, graphic pattern and a matte surface. It gives the impression of a frosted glass pane with a delicate ornament in the form of multiplied circles. The oneiric drawing is so subtle that the movement of the fabric makes it appear and disappear. The fabric can be used on both sides. It looks very natural and, at the same time, presents practical properties of synthetic fibre fabrics, i.e., it has good elasticity and can be washed in water and dry cleaned. It is a perfect choice for traditional curtains, screens or Roman blinds. The fabric comes in an economical height of 295 cm.
Like a spider's thread.
Wade is a polyester but very naturally looking, decorative fabric with an extremely original structure of modern, irregular mesh. It creates the impression of being woven spontaneously by hand, as the weave is very diverse, looking almost accidental. It is recommended for attractive curtains, screens, and Roman blinds in modern interiors.
Together with the Wero, Wilky, Wikolia, Wibo, Wasi, Wangi, and Waldo fabrics it forms the Bianco Fresco collection, where each fabric is available in one white hue.
The hottest trend with a 3D effect – towards the third dimension.
Contemporary fabrics are definitely moving towards the third dimension, as if no longer satisfied with the flat weave of the weft and warp. The modern advances in technology offer the possibility of using fibres to create sculptural effects in fabrics, thus introducing additional dimension and textile abundance to the architecture.
An excellent example of this effect is the Structures (pl Struktury) collection offered by Dekoma, which includes several texturally rich fabrics.
The collection includes Safir and Straton – decorative, thick fabrics of double width with an interesting, spatial structure, available in broken whites and delicate beiges. They are perfect for customers interested in original solutions for home decoration and can be used for thick curtains or inventive textile screens. With their spatial structure, the fabrics have acoustic properties, which in today's world seems to be an exceptionally sought-after advantage of household textiles.
Fabrics from the DEKOMA collection used in the session:
Delicate decorative fabric, with irregular, dynamic model created by perforations with a slightly ragged outline. Ebony and Esprit are an alternative to traditional, smooth curtains. Their somewhat austere, modern character fits perfectly into the trend inspired by nature. Fabrics are available in seven muted, natural colours in the economic height of 325 cm. Trends 2013: Geologist
Translucent, decorative fabric with looser wave in soft, natural colours, from off-white to coffee with milk. A big advantage of the collection is height of the fabric (300 cm), giving the freedom to create decorations and allowing economical use of the material. Trends 2012: Clear freshness, Charm of crafts
Translucent decorative fabric with a modern, graphic pattern and matt surface. With the ability to use both sides. It looks very naturally having all the properties of fabrics of artificial fibres, i.e. good resilience and the possibility of washing in water and dry cleaning.
Decorative fabric, with interesting, spatial structure in the colours of broken white and soft beige. Its advantage is the economic height of about 300 cm. Excellent choice for those looking for original solutions to decorate their home. Trends 2012: Clear Freshness
Decorative fabric, with interesting, spatial structure in the colours of broken white and soft beige. Its advantage is the economic height of about 300 cm. Excellent choice for those looking for original solutions to decorate their home. Trends 2012: Clear Freshness
Polyester decorative fabric with an extremely original structure of modern irregular check. Natural in appearance. Recommended for modern interiors, for glamorous sheer curtains and Roman blinds.
Translucent polyester decorative fabric with a distinctive sheen decorated with beautiful, delicate hourglass pattern. Its advantage is the economic height of about 312 cm. Recommended for classic and modern interiors for airy sheer curtains.
Photo-session for Dekoma.
Creative thought and styling: MBBM Studio
