Textiles
17 textiles terms used in interior design, each with a clear definition and how to use it.
Brocade
Brocade is a richly decorated woven fabric featuring raised patterns created by supplementary weft threads, often including metallic gold or silver. Distinguished from damask by the addition of these "extra" patterning threads, brocade has been a hallmark of luxury textiles for over 1,000 years and appears in formal upholstery, drapery, and decorative applications.
Chenille
Chenille is a soft, plush fabric with a velvet-like pile created by tufts of fiber attached to a woven backing, distinctive in appearance and feel. The word "chenille" means "caterpillar" in French, referring to the fabric's soft fuzzy yarn structure. Used in upholstery and bedding for its warmth, softness, and decorative appearance.
Damask
Damask is a reversible figured fabric with patterns woven into the cloth itself rather than printed or embroidered onto it, typically featuring large floral or foliate motifs in monochromatic or two-color schemes. The pattern is visible from both sides of the fabric (reversed in color). Used historically in formal upholstery, drapery, and wallpaper.
Ikat
Ikat is a textile-making technique in which yarns are tied and dyed in patterns BEFORE being woven into fabric, producing distinctive blurred-edge patterns. Practiced for thousands of years in Indonesia, Uzbekistan, India, Guatemala and other cultures, ikat is recognized by its characteristic feathered or watercolor-like motifs.
Jacquard
Jacquard refers both to a specific type of loom invented by Joseph-Marie Jacquard in 1804 and to the elaborately patterned fabrics produced on it. Jacquard fabrics include damask, brocade, tapestries, and complex woven patterns, anything where intricate designs are woven into the fabric structure rather than printed on top. Jacquard is the umbrella category that includes most ornate woven textiles.
Jute
Jute is a natural plant fiber harvested from the jute plant, used in interior design primarily for area rugs, runners and woven textiles. Identified by its raw, slightly rough texture and warm beige to golden color; one of the most common natural-fiber rug materials in contemporary interior design.
Kilim
A kilim is a flat-woven rug or tapestry made by interweaving warp and weft threads (no knots, no pile), distinguished from knotted Persian rugs by its flat surface and visible weave structure. Kilims feature geometric patterns, bold tribal designs, and rich colors. Used in Turkish, Persian, Central Asian, and North African traditions for thousands of years.
Linen
Linen is a natural fiber textile made from the flax plant, recognized for its slightly slubby texture, natural cream-to-grey color, breathable feel, and characteristic wrinkles. Linen is one of the most-used residential textiles, appearing in upholstery, drapery, bedding, and slipcovers, and is foundational to contemporary, coastal, Belgian, and quiet luxury interior styles.
Mohair
Mohair is a luxurious natural fiber from the Angora goat, recognized for its silky sheen, exceptional softness, remarkable durability, and rich color saturation. Used in fine upholstery, throws, and high-end velvets, mohair is one of the most premium natural textile fibers available and a signature material in luxury residential interiors.
Moroccan rug (Beni Ourain)
Moroccan rugs, particularly the famous Beni Ourain, are hand-woven wool rugs produced by Berber tribes in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Recognized for their cream/ivory backgrounds with simple geometric patterns in dark brown or black, these rugs are extremely popular in contemporary residential design and have become an iconic element of modern minimalist, bohemian, and Scandinavian-influenced interiors.
Paisley
Paisley is an ornamental textile pattern featuring a curved teardrop or kidney-shaped motif (the "boteh") repeated throughout. Originating in Persia and developed extensively in Kashmir shawls, paisley took its current name from the Scottish town of Paisley where European versions were manufactured in the 19th century.
Persian rug
A Persian rug is a hand-woven knotted rug produced in Iran (historically Persia), recognized for its intricate floral and medallion patterns, rich color palettes, exceptional craftsmanship, and significant cultural value. Persian rugs are foundational to traditional, Hollywood Regency, grandmillennial, and eclectic residential interiors, and represent some of the most valuable textiles in the world.
Shag rug
A shag rug is a rug characterized by extremely long, deep pile, typically 1.5 to 4+ inches in length, producing a soft, plush, somewhat unkempt surface. Popular in mid-20th-century residential design and again in the 2010s-2020s, shag rugs are luxurious underfoot, dramatic visually, and have specific applications in various design styles.
Sisal, seagrass & jute rugs
Sisal, seagrass, and jute are three natural plant fibers commonly used for rugs and floor coverings, each with specific characteristics. Sisal is firm and durable (from agave plants), seagrass is soft and slightly water-resistant (from sea grasses), and jute is soft and warm-toned (from jute plants). All three are foundational to coastal, bohemian, modern Mediterranean, and quiet luxury interior styles.
Toile (Toile de Jouy)
Toile de Jouy (often shortened to "toile") is a French textile pattern featuring detailed pictorial scenes, typically pastoral, mythological, or historical, printed in a single color on a cream or white linen or cotton background. Originating from the manufactory at Jouy-en-Josas near Versailles in 1760, toile remains an iconic element of traditional French and English country interiors.
Tweed
Tweed is a rough, woven wool fabric featuring small flecks of multiple colors that create a distinctive textured appearance from a distance. Originally produced in Scotland for working clothing and country wear, tweed is also widely used in interior design for upholstery, drapery, and accent pieces, adding warm rustic character and substantial visual texture to rooms.
Velvet
Velvet is a soft, dense pile fabric with a distinctive plush surface and subtle sheen, produced by a special weaving process that creates short cut fibers standing perpendicular to the backing. Used in upholstery, drapery, and pillows, velvet ranges from formal silk to durable performance synthetics, and has experienced a major contemporary revival as a luxury textile.