PARK YOUR BUTT, but choose wisely. Part 3- Viscose, Wool, & Silk
Viscose-
This is the point in the series when I am waving a big red flag in one hand and holding up a beautiful fabric with a silk-like luster, which I am dying to use for a rug but won’t ever. When viscose first became popular, it was shiny and pretty, so I made the mistake of specifying a beautiful off-white viscose rug for a client, who thankfully does not hate me. Salespeople don’t tell you things they should, and that rug…ugh. Now I know. Viscose gets ruined when it’s wet. I had another client who had it in her bedroom (chosen, thankfully, by the designer before me). The bedroom is right next to the master bath, so she would come out of the shower and walk across the bedroom carpet with damp feet. By the time she showed me her expensive, relatively new viscose carpet, it was ruined. She loves the new carpet I spec’d for her. It’s made of polyester. It can get wet. I don’t specify viscose for anything except window treatments and pretty pillows. Oh, and don’t believe in something called “bamboo silk.” It’s viscose. It’s a tricky salesperson’s new name for the same lousy problem, and yes, it’s viscose.
Wool-
Wool is definitely one of my go-tos. To me, it’s not all that comfy as a sofa, because it’s kind of itchy. But I have glamorous clients who adore their mohair sofas, which is a form of wool. Mohair is gorgeous. Wool, to me, makes some of the best rugs. A good quality wool rug should not pill and is relatively easy to clean. Fred and Ella can pretty much ruin any rug, but wool and polyester are my best bet against the odds for rugs.
Silk-
If you want Greta Garbo glamor, then there is no competition for the look of gorgeous silk. For my very first design project ever, I did a room packed with passionate sunset-colored silks in burnt orange, golden yellow and turquoise. To die for gorgeous because silk has a depth and saturation of color that very few other fibers do. It’s great if you don’t have cats, who like to claw it, and it makes an unparalled window treatment, so long as the fabric is lined and kept out of direct sun. And here, you can see a luxurious silk velvet on this sumptuous settee. Most silks can fade in the sunlight, but some are reputed to be fade-resistant. There are polys on the market that have a similar glam feel, but I can definitely appreciate the purist who knows the difference.
