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I’d be the first to admit that I’m a huge fan of ‘high-low’ interiors. I’d also fess-up to being a bit cautious when it comes to lesser priced fabrics for interior design (mostly because cheap fabrics tend to look, for the lack of a better word, cheap.) That’s why I’m a big fan of Rose Brand Fabrics. They’re a theatrical fabric resource that has an amazing number of great textiles for times when stretching the budget doesn’t need to mean things end up looking shabby.
During my decade as a curtain workroom owner, I had the pleasure of working with Santo Laquasta, sewing curtains for several of his Opera and Broadway sets, as well as for several Woody Allen movies. He is a genius (Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards, Oscar Nominations), and a total joy to work with. He introduced me to Mr. Allen on the set of ‘Bullets over Broadway‘ – a New York moment I’ll always remember. He also introduced me to Rose Brand Fabrics.
I know, I know. Some of you are by now poo-poo’ing the idea of using stage set fabrics for interior design. I did too. Then one day, while trying to decorate my upstate New York cottage on a shoe-string budget, I remembered Rose Brand. The picture above is of the living room. The roman shade is made of moss-green burlap I purchased from them. It was $13 a yard… so for $130 and a bit of sweat-equity, I got a great looking budget window treatment. You say you’re not a fan of green? It comes in 15 other colors. Here’s an important tip: it comes FR (flame retardant) or NFR (non-flame retardant) so you can spec it for a contract space as well.
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Rose Brand has literally hundreds of fabrics in their collection, most of which serve a specific purpose in the theater – Opera scrim for example. With that said, there are dozens of fabrics that have real cross-over possibilities. Here are some of them, and my thoughts on how to use them.
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100% linen gauze – comes in 17 colors, and is $20.22 per yard (unless you buy the 55 yard bolt at just over $16 per yard.) I’ve made some really great looking unlined Ripplefold curtains using this cloth. Maybe some double-faced roman shades using a contrasting color for lining?
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No one needs suggestions on how you might use a great looking linen, so I’ll refrain from insulting your creative intelligence. The RB website says its available in 9 colors (although they only show 6 neutrals.) At $17.05 for cut yardage, or $14.55 per yard for the 55 yard bolt, it’s a great choice for dressing an entire guest bedroom in style.
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No, this is not for everyone, but for the right client in the right room, a little glamour is often the right idea. This fabric comes in 6 colorways from black to white. Very Hollywood. You’ve got to purchase a 10 yard roll, but at $150, that’s $15 a yard. Try to find a comparable fabric from Great Plains (as much as I love Holly Hunt) at that price.
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This fabric is made for the great outdoors. It’s a patented PVC coated polyester mesh that’s as durable as it is mosquito proof. It comes in 8 colors, and is just north of $11 per yard. Because of the coating, it’s sturdy as well as slightly reflective… which would make it a great overlay for a pair of indoor taffeta curtains as well.
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I imagine that for most of us the days of nasty white vinyl coated blackout lining are over. There’s a great colored blackout lining from Creation Baumann that my friend Erik Bruce loves to work with, as well as ‘Solar Satin’ from Fabricut – but this fabric is the least expensive of the 3. It comes in 8 colors and is $13.75 per yard.
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There was a time it was easy to shop Rose Brand Fabrics in NYC, but they’ve moved from their Chelsea Market office. Don’t despair. You can order a catalog easily, and they’ll happily send you swatches of anything you’re interested in. I’ve got the color cards for every fabric in this post.
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