The
use of natural materials for home interiors has become a way
of lifestyle choice.
Only a few years ago Latvian buyers gave preference
for shiny and colorful items and materials, imported from
Western countries, but now they are choosing local
materials - wood, clay, and others. Linen fabric has again
become popular, which is used not only in towels and
bedding, but also curtains and draperies.
Linen is an ecological material, and the use of linen for
curtains may be a first step towards an "eco"
(ecological) style interior says "ALAN
DEKO
Company" designer Zita Zarzecka: "Linen certainly
fits in the interior, where all other things are from a
natural material and natural colors. But the cost of linen
may not be in our budget to permit the achievement of the
ideal interior. But, the room layout may be changed
gradually over time to include more use of linen and other
natural materials. Even if the home is a "left-over
from Soviet times", they may be decorates with linen
curtains, knowing that later they will be complemented with
other natural objects."
Today,
linen fabric is evaluated more and more. "Today, linen
is the rage. This is an exclusive, expensive and high
quality material," says Z. Zarzecka. More than quality,
linen has another positive qualities. Studio Linen Fantasies
Company's Ms Inta Daniele cites several other factors why
the home interior would be worthwhile to use materials made
from natural flax. "First, linen acts as antiseptic.
The natural linen fiber regulates various unwanted bacteria,
fungi, and viruses - in the environment. Secondly, linen
"breathes" - with the circulating air. Linen
absorbs and releases moisture and helps to maintains a
normal room temperature and humidity.
In
the cold linen is insulating, but feels cool in hot areas.
Third, linen harmonizes with the surrounding environment.
Most of these characteristics has a direct the natural,
biologically active linen fibers. A natural linen fabric is
such that the production process has not been carried out
linen fibers to heat treatment at temperatures above 50
degrees Celsius or chemicals for cleaning, bleaching and
dyeing.
However, as told Z. Zarzecka, store shelves are increasingly
appearing dyed and otherwise treated linen fabric,
containing not only the linen, but also cotton, rayon, and
polyester. This is done so that the fabric will not fade,
shrink and wrinkle. This extensive processing results
in a linen cloth of different variations of color and
texture and feel that could be used to create any style of
interior. Z. Zarzecka recommends avoiding saturated tones of
linen fabrics, such as red, blue and green, because they
bleach the fastest.
For
linen curtains, there are some considerations that are not
obvious. Studio Linen Fantasies' founder Aija Johnson
recommends that linen curtains be made slightly larger than
measured to allow for a 5% to 10% shrinkage which occurs in
all directions but more along the direction of the fabric
that comes from the roll.
Transparency, flowers and lace
Last time, becomes increasingly acute for translucent linen
curtains. "Depending on the brightness of light out,
they change the color," says Aija Johnson. Such plans
could use the curtains as the day the curtains, and for
curtains at night to choose a thicker linen cloth. Although
the linen cloth curtains usually tend to be simple shapes,
they can add different elements. For example, you may add
sewn beads, or flowers made from different fabrics. Z.
Zarzecka recommends retro style romance - sew curtains by
adding linen lace. These laces can be purchased in local
stores and their price is about 80 Latvian Ls (US$1.60) per
meter.
Linen fabrics may be found at various stores and shops. A
broad range of the fabric stores in linen fabrics are most
often imported from Italy and Spain. Linen fabric prices are
dependent on the quality, color, type of treatment, and
exclusivity. Concept is a little crude or linen fabrics,
which are the natural linen color, with no glare and a
simple plaiting. If a linen fabric used for designing more
sophisticated technologies, and to take a prestigious
company, the fabric has a higher price. On sale at a width
of generally 1.50 meters. Local Latvian linen processor
"LareLini" the fabric purchase price ranges from
LVL 2.30 (US$4.60) per meter.
Studio
Linen Fantasies, where the linen fabrics are ordered from
Belarus and sold in Latvia, at prices ranging from Ls
3.50 Ls to 7.50Ls (US$7.00 to $15.00)per meter. The Riga
Latvia store "ALAN DEKO" offers linen and other
material combinations of fabrics, the prices are from
Latvian 15 Ls to even 70 Ls US$30 to
$140) per meter.
Inta
Daniele recommends that linen be washed at a moderate
temperature without chemical detergents, to protect the
unique properties of linen. Linen fabric can be washed in
rainwater, because the linen fiber recovers really.
While
the fabric is still wet, stretch it in all directions to
bring it back to the original size and shape. Ms.
Z.
Zarzecka adds that too much direct sunlight may damage the
linen fabric.
Flax cultivation is very popular in Lithuania, Belarus and
Russia. China also recently produced an increasingly varied
amounts of linen products, which it probably is not of the
highest quality. Moreover, we observed the flax industry
downturn - there is only a couple of linen processing plant,
farmers are increasingly less engaged in the cultivation of
flax. The largest flax-processing factory in Latvia is
"LareLini" in the city of Jelgava. While other
countries develop linen sector development program, Latvian
entrepreneurs who sell and use linen products tend to buy
fabrics from neighboring countries.
***
TIP - suggestions
Aija Johnson
of
Studio Linen Fantasies recommends
that
linen curtains
may
stitch slightly
larger than had been planned.
Zita Recommends Zarzecka retro style romance to sew curtains
adding linen lace.
