The art of styling private and contract interior follows the needs of a changing Western world of work, leisure, service and hospitality. Also, social and environmental changes influence the look of interiors. Textiles play an important role in making concrete building a place to enjoy being there.

Interior textiles have undergone a strong change from being traditional fabrics to textiles with new functions and new designs. This trend is underway for a while now. Still, manufactures and designers come up with astonishingly new issues – as exhibition like Decosit, Brussels/Belgium, and Heimtextil, Frankfurt/Germany show.

Changing societies
The aging societies in Central Europe (and Japan) are in urgent need of concept in living. The change in societies does not stop at the private level but also influence industry, trade, hospitality and instructions. Convenience is a requirement for building and their furnishing where textiles play their own part. Beyond the ‘normal’ flame retardant and dirt repellent finishing, now also available are cyclodextrine finishings which absorb bad smells and/ or disseminate good odours, luminescent fabric offering shielding against electro smog, ‘wellness’ concepts which could purify the rooms from ‘bad vibrations’ coming from electric fields, nuclear plants, noise, and temperature and so on.

Working on temperature
A classic way to keep out extreme heat or cold is building up insulation areas in front of the windows. William Negin, export sales manager of Hanes fabrics, a Leggett & Platt company from Conover, North Carolina, and a market leader in the USA, explaining the working of the TempAssure drapery lining concepts says, “the two layers of lining create an insulting air barrier between the drape and lining material that actually raises the R-Value rating of a window, making it more energy efficient. This works both for hot and cold climates which ask for cooling respective heating”.

The smartcel clima-fibre, a product of smartfibre AG, Rudolstadt/Germany, can be produced with integrated air conditioners. It’s a Phase Change Material (PCM) micro composite fibre to be used in bedding and garments. Contrary to other PCM applications, the PCM is integrated into the fibre at the spinning process. A bioactive version includes silver ions, which could stop the proliferation of bacteria and germs.

Junkers & Muellers, Moenchengladbach/ Germany, is the supplier of a new concept of sun shades and temperature management. As Mr. Christian Junkers, executive assistant, explain, “The clue is to keep the warmth of the heating inside”. The transparent version of the sun shade is laminated with a film with infrared pigments. The blackout version is laminated with aluminium with both sides which reflects the temperature into the room. Both versions are impermeable to air generating and insulating air cushion between the window and the sun shade.

Sun shading
Normally, sun blinds are made of opaque fabrics. Swela transilk is a new transparent sunblind, produce by Schmitz Emsdetten/ Germany. Not only does it keep the sun away, but it is also flame retardant and has anti-dazzling qualities, an important requirement for computer work places.

Geting bad smels out
BakaSave from Bamberger Kaliko, Bamberg/Germany contains a special substance which absorbs harmful gases and bad ordours, i.e. formaldehyde, in the homes. It accumulates them at the surface of the sun protection fabric, converting them through a catalytic process into completely harmless substance like water and carbon dioxide. It is a 100% polyester fabric, coated on both sides, with translucent and blackout versions. Other than the cyclodextrine finishings, this material does not need any other finish. The fabrics have won the innovation award of the R+T 2003 in Stuttgart fair for blinds and shutters. Unlike other fabrics, which stem odours, the new Fresh air series by Drapilux, Emsdetten/Germany does not rely on the presence of UV lights. Metal salts and oxides are firmly built into the fibres to convert bad odours into harmless substances. It is effective in total darkness.

From Italy comes Nano Scent, an absorption system that eliminates any unpleasant odour. The micro fibre is immersed with water-borne polyurethane-a process developed by Asahi Kasei, Japan. The Italian company Miko, Gorizia/Italy, is the sole licensee for this process in Europe. Miko has launched the “Dinamica Evolution” fabrics with Nano Scent for all kind of upholstery. The process could reduce abrasion and pilling and keep the fabric in shape. Antistatic and fire-retardant finishes would be possible.

BioProtect is a curtain and furnishing series of Ado, Aschendorf/Germany, which works with silver ions integrated into the fibre at spinning process. The fabrics are used mainly in the institutional area. Ado is a vertical producer from yarn to final product. For their latest collection, they took under contract Luigi Colani, known for softy rounded designs for literally all kinds of products. Mr. Thomas Bueter, Sales Manager for the contract business, says that one third of the curtains would have ‘intelligent’ properties like BioProtect, room climate or flame retardancy. Ado would be the only company capable of combining all these properties in one fabric. The process is specially developed by a chemical supplier. On the fibre side, Radici/Italy launched the antibacterial version of all types of polyster yarns. Mr. Andrea Borgis, Marketing Manager, explains that the antibacterial agent of the nanofil fibres will be integrated into the fibre at the spinning process itself.

Mrs Emilia LANZA, Sales Manager of Sinterama, Biella/Italy, presented a new type of yarn Cocona with coconut fibres. The patented process comes from USA and Sinterama is the sole licensee in Europe. The yarns catch the bad odour naturally.

Repeling dirt
Teflon is a widely renowned finishing trademark of DuPont for dirt repellent. Recently, Invista launched the Repel & High Performance Repel Teflon fabric protector, which provides excellent stain protection. The liquid spills bead up and roll off the surface and are not absorbed by the fabric. Any residue could be wiped off or blotted with a clean cloth, while dry soil could be brushed off. On top, Invista suggests to have two-in-one fabric protection finish: Advance Dual Action Teflon fabrics protector. This technology combines dual repel and release action, so that even ground-in stains can wash out more easily without leaving any mark.

Another finishing with similar effects is applied on the Crypton fabrics by Delius, Bielefeld/Germany. Instead of being a superficial coating the finishing envelopes every single fibre and thus would have a long lasting effect, even under hard conditions.

New lok
The GVW Raumdekor, Wuerselen/ Germany is introducing a new kind of Trevira CS fabrics, which has bi-elastics properties and permits almost unlimited freedom in the design and realisation of innovative concepts. The wrap knitted fabric is blended with elastane fibre Dorlastan FR. The fabric can be printed with digital print.

CoverTex, launched by Ado, is a new system to cover walls with textiles. Wall coverings are chick and trendy once more. In addition to appearance, energy-saving aspects and greatly improved spatial acoustics are also important. In the past, wall coverings were generally spanned on all four walls but now the quick and easy ADO CoverTex system opens up a new spectrum of design option. ADO CoverTex feature a revolutionary installation system, which makes fitting quick, easy clean and inexpensive, so combining different fabrics, patterns and designs is simple. “The basic principle consists of two rubber lips fixed to a support rail, which can be either wall or ceiling mounted (if ceiling covering is desired). Using a special spatula, the fabric is pressed into the plastic lips, stretching the fabric, keeping it taut and stable. Practically any decorating fabric can be used with ADO CoverTex. Together with the opportunity like ink jet printing on large formats, this system offers completely new possibilities of decorating walls.

Horizon is a new concept of blinds inside the rooms, presented by Maasberg, Muenchberg/Germany. The award-winning panels of the blinds can be moved according to the direction of the sun rays. So the look of the window will change as the sun moves during the day. The panels could be filled with any kind of fabrics. According to the fabric, air filtration, heat reflection or acoustic insulation could be used to regulate the temperature of the room.

INNOFA Innovated Fabrics Award, Tilburg/The Netherlands, showed Holoknit, which has a holographic effect achieved by the use of backlight. This fabrics is suitable for various applications in interior decoration: window coverings, room dividers panels, lampshades, etc. It was developed in cooperation with the Dutch Lama Concept. It is flexible, Stretchy and light filtering.

Conclusion
A lot of developments target the consumption of energy-either to cool down or to heat the rooms. Other focus on the convenience - biting up stains, ordours or e-smog. Again others use new technologies like large format printing to get a completely new look to private and contract rooms. It’s a challenge.