Fabric Applications

I believe that fabric is one of the most versatile materials used in interior design. It can be put on seating, floors, walls, panel systems and used in many other applications. Fabric can be both functional and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. There are also many different fabrics to choose from especially in seating applications. Sadly it seems that typically function is more important than aesthetics especially when one is on a budget.

That is the case I believe for these studio chairs. I don’t know how old they are but they are definitely used a lot since they are classroom chairs. I also don’t know what kind of fiber it is made out of but my guess would be a man-made fiber like polyester because it is cheaper and very resistant to wear and soil.

Personally this isn’t my favorite chair. While the fabric isn’t rough, it isn’t necessarily soft either; it’s more slippery then anything. It also picks up a lot of dirt which really amplifies how dirty the chairs look. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them look clean. While the chair has failed aesthetically in my book, it’s highly functional in the sense that as much use as it gets it doesn’t show much wear. None of the threads are broken nor are any seams coming out. In the setting of a classroom, I understand why they made the choice they did. They probably had a tight budget or wanted to spend more money on something else. They also needed a chair that would be very durable. The fabric on these desk chairs was probably part of a standard line with limited choices. There are fabrics that are both good looking and durable but those tend to cost a little more money and with a large order it isn’t very practical or possible to use a nonstandard fabric.

 For this assignment I chose to look at something that I use practically every day; the chairs in studio. I had never really looked at them very closely nor paid much attention to them before and I think I discovered new things while I completed this assignment. As aesthetically displeasing these chairs are when one looks very closely at them, I think the purchase was a wise one, if the chairs have been used for many years. They are highly functional and I’m sure a smart purchase.