Cotton: The Fabric For Interiors

           

Cotton has been around for centuries, millennia even. Cotton fiber has properties of strength, durability, and absorbency. It is a natural fiber that is biodegradable and accounts for about forty percent of total world fiber production. It is used for not only clothing but also for interiors and it is widely used in the design world.

            Cotton is usually grown in tropical climates such as Egypt. This plant based fiber is widely used across the United States, especially in the south. Growing cotton in the United States was one of the leading occupations of slaves. The Indian cotton processing industry really grew during the British Industrial Revolution with the help of the inventions of the Spinning Jenny in 1764 and the Spinning frame in 1769. Years later the invention of the cotton gin in 1793 by Eli Whitney made processing cotton easier in the United States. In northern Europe during the late medieval period, cotton became an imported fiber. And by the end of the 16^th century BC, cotton was cultivated throughout the warmer regions in Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas. Today cotton is produced in many parts of the world using cotton plants that have been bred so that each plant grows more fiber.

            After cultivation, processing, and weaving, cotton goes through several stages such as singeing, desizing, scouring, bleaching, mercerizing, dyeing, and finishing.  Cotton is not only used in the textile industry for clothing and interiors, but it has many uses and is in our everyday products that we use. Some examples include fishnets, coffee filters, tents, bookbinding, and the modern US dollar bill.

            Cotton is widely used in the world of interior design. It is used in bedding, pillows, sheets, curtains for windows, placemats and napkins for dining tables, towels for bathrooms, fabrics used to cover cushions, chairs and sofas for the living room, and much more. One reason why cotton is used in the interior design world is because it is resistant to fading and other signs of wear and tear. However, cotton does tend to get stained and soiled easily. So if one chooses to use cotton in one’s home a cotton blend should be used instead of pure cotton. Some main cotton fabrics that are used in interior decoration are damask, drill, velvet, and chintz. Cotton fabrics are one of the most preferred fabrics of buyers for homes and cotton will probably increase in popularity as the years go by.

(2005-2011). Facts about cotton; choosing organic cotton. Organic-Nature-News.com. September 7, 2011. http://www.organic-nature-news.com/facts-about-cotton.html

(2010). Facts and Figures: The Cotton Trade. PBS.com. September 7, 2011. http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/310/cotton-trade.html

(2007-2011). Understanding Fabrics in your Interior Decorating. Freshome.com. http://freshome.com/2009/01/26/understanding-fabrics-in-your-interior-decorating/

September 7, 2011. http://www.interiorguru.com/article/home_furnishing_ideas/3102-types_of_furnishing_fabrics.html