Subjects
About living with textiles.
They are soft and cuddly, protect us from strangers' glances or too much sunlight; they cushion seats, cover us, cushion our steps and even absorb unwanted noise. Textiles are true all-rounders, sometimes appearing in a perfect pattern, in all the colours of the rainbow or in subtle natural shades. With their materiality, they contribute significantly to making rooms homely and cosy, so that we feel comfortable and secure in them.
Around 30,000 years of textile history have accompanied mankind, says science - from dyed wild herb fibres found in prehistoric caves to today's high-tech fabrics. When we speak of fabrics, we mean knitted, woven, warp-knitted, felted or braided natural and synthetic fibres or blended fabrics, even though the word textile derives from the Latin texere for weaving.
In addition to their appearance, fabrics also differ greatly in their feel and functionality. Gossamer silk webs, richly embroidered brocade, cooling linen or densely rolled loden - they all have different tasks and areas of application in our houses, flats, offices and business premises.
Textiles also play a major role in our interior designs - as light protection, sound-absorbing acoustic curtains, robust floor coverings, fluffy carpets or decorative wall coverings; as upholstery fabrics that defy wind and weather or embrace us in woolly softness. As cushions, plaids or blankets, textiles are often the icing on the cake of our designs. But time and again we also use the soft material to "build walls" - as semi-transparent or opaque room dividers that fill sober rooms with a warm feeling or enable flexible room uses.