Draped diffusion

Charles Parsons Interiors

“Sheer fabrics are a popular choice for interiors due to their unique blend of practicality and aesthetics.” Charles Parsons Interiors sums up the unique qualities that make sheers the go-to choice for many Australian end users. “Their ability to filter and diffuse natural light while maintaining privacy makes them an easy choice for many. Known for their lightweight and airy feel, sheers can make rooms appear more spacious and inviting. Whether you’re trying to create a serene and tranquil atmosphere or enhancing the overall aesthetic of a room, sheers have long been favoured as an option for those seeking a harmonious balance of functionality and beauty in their window treatments.

“A home is more than just four walls and a roof; it’s a canvas for expression and a reflection of the owner’s personality. When it comes to interior design, the choice of drapery fabrics plays an important role in creating the right ambience.”

With this in mind, Charles Parsons is introducing two new additions to its sheers range; Cosmo and Napier. 

“Cosmo is more than just a drapery fabric; it’s an experience of motion. Crafted with attention to detail, this medium-weight sheer fabric boasts a captivating character that dances with movement. Cosmo stands apart with its multi-tonal yarn, creating a harmonious surface with distinctive motion.”

“The soft box weave of Cosmo oozes artisanal bijou; it replicates the look and feel of hand-woven cloth, adding a delightful touch of authenticity to any decor. The range is offered in a palette of 10 earthy and organic tones; perfect for a serene living room, an inviting bedroom, or an inspiring office space.”

“Napier is where simplicity meets understated elegance. This textured plain sheer blends beauty and practicality seamlessly to bring a lasting charm to your space. The textured design of Napier offers a quiet, yet profound, sense of elegance. A big benefit to Napier is its ease of maintenance; luxury without the fuss. Sit back and enjoy the beauty of your home without worrying about complicated cleaning routines. 

This product has been designed to harmonise easily with different interior settings and comes in a selection of eight natural colours. Whether you prefer the relaxed charm of coastal living, the rustic appeal of country aesthetics, or the sleek lines of contemporary design, Napier can be adapted to suit your vision.”

Shaw

Mark Lewis, Head of Division, Shaw Performance Fabrics, tells WFA the company’s range of drapery sheers is offered in a minimum 3000mm wide with eco beading to co-ordinate with popular roller blind fabrics Orora, Palm Beach and Linesque, with the most recent release being Linesque Air. 

“Developed specifically in response to customer requests seeking a quality, value for money drapery sheer, Shaw sheers are manufactured by one of the brand’s leading manufacturing partners, with extensive experience in designing and weaving fabrics.

“Shaw’s sheer drapery is 100% polyester, which is washable. It is accredited with Greenguard and Greenguard Gold and tested to AS1530 Part II & III. The sheers are wide width with a beaded hem, which permits vast floor to ceiling drapes without the need to join. They are Oekotex accredited and have Cradle to Cradle Bronze status.” 

“Shaw’s sheer and blinds fabric textures and colours match across the range, giving retailers the opportunity to sell in the ‘layered look’ that their customers are looking for in modern interior design, or to co-ordinate throughout the home with the same colour and texture but different finishes. They lend themselves to the extremely popular S fold blinds, handling and folding beautifully, for dramatic effect, covering a window wall far beyond the boundaries of the actual window frame. 

Lewis confirms that the sheer curtain market continues to grow in popularity, driven by interior design trends and the multi-functional use of residential living spaces. 

“Shaw sheers give a much sought after ethereal finish to a living space, filtering light and giving daytime privacy.” 

He adds that Shaw continuously monitors local and international design and colour trends, with its current range reflecting key themes through its colour portfolios.

“LinesqueAir for example has an organic linen look and feel, with a colour range from bright white, warm neutrals to earthy shades and intense black.”

“The trend to take the inside out and vice versa continues, with Shaw sheers offering a seamless colour transition from the gentle greys of urban back yards to crisp white, soft aqua and blue tones, to enhance a coastal look. Shaw’s drapery sheers provide a solution for retailers to reflect the location of their customers’ home.”

BM Blinds

Michael Shaw, Director of BM Blinds, says the company’s Veri Shades offer continues to perform well by combining the appeal of sheers with the functionality of a blind.

“BM Blinds Australian made Veri Shades are the perfect blend, combining the elegance and light diffusion of a sheer curtain with the practical view and privacy control of a blind. A Veri Shade really is the ‘clever curtain’,” he says. 

“With a variety of track styles that include the unobtrusive Belle & Cube tracks and the traditional decorative track or the modern motorised track, these are as sleek as your client’s home décor requires. The tracks are available in four colours including White, White Birch, Grey and Black. Our operating systems include the ever-popular wand control, or where a Veri Shade is installed behind bulky furniture the cord and chain control system is a practical option. 

“A specially designed white track is also available if you want a motorised Veri Shade in either 240v or a rechargeable battery. Our tracks are made with incremental spacing, so the segments sit evenly across the opening, making uneven segments a thing of the past. The links we use are stainless steel, coupled with self-aligning carriers with removable hooks, which ensures years of hassle-free use.  

With a maximum width of 5870mm for wand and cord operated Veri Shades and 7000mm for motorised shades, the continuous look of a Veri Shade on larger windows and doors is seamless.

With a choice of an array of fabrics including Symmetry Plush – exclusively available through BM Blinds, Standard Plush, Alpine Plush, Mist Plush, Autumn Plush, Net Plush, Luxury Plush or Sleek, Eclipse Plush, Classic Plush or Sleek and Privacy Plush.”

“Various stacking options are available for Veri Shades, with hidden wands to minimise the gap on centre opening or split drawn shades. The ease of being able to walk through the segments on a Veri Shade is unlike any sheer curtain previously available.”

“Choose the plush look of Veri Shades with wide segments to get the best view through your shade, minimising the stack size or go for the contemporary sleek look with a narrower segment that protrudes less into your client’s room, giving a modern and functional alternative where space is at a premium.”

“Australian designed and manufactured with our custom engineered brackets with various colour options for reveal fit and matching bracket covers for face fit, this solution gives your clients a decorator touch and adds a fuss free contemporary look to their home.”

“Veri Shades purchased from BM Blinds offer the peace of mind that comes with shopping locally and supporting Australian family businesses and manufacturing.”

Norman

Norman General Manager Brandon Rigby confirms the company’s latest release in sheer drapery ranges is SmartDrape 

“SmartDrape eliminates the need to purchase separate room darkening curtains to hide behind sheer curtains. It solves the problem with one practical and modern solution. 

“SmartDrape brings room darkening fabrics to a product category that previously didn’t offer this option. With SmartDrape, you can enjoy the elegance of a sheer s-fold curtain while maintaining greater control over light and privacy.” 

Rigby confirms that white sheer drapes are a popular choice, but many customers require more privacy that what a single sheer can offer. Norman’s SmartDrape has them covered by offering the ability to control not only privacy but also light depending on the fabric options selected.

Wilson Fabrics

Wilson Fabrics has released five new sheer drapery ranges consisting of an Australian Made Whitsundays and four European made ranges – Organic, Tessa, Parker & Harvest. 

“The Whitsundays sheer is the only Australian made sheer drapery in the market. The range was the conception of Colour Flow by Wilson Fabrics, with colour tones that coordinate harmoniously with all Wilson Fabrics Australian Made blockout drapery and blind ranges. Whitsundays comes in 12 beautiful shades ranging from whites to neutrals and beiges, greys and blues. The fabric is 310cm wide and is produced at our Mill in Wangaratta, which is Greenguard accredited.”

Meanwhile Organic, Tessa and Parker sheers are European made. The sheers are woven using thicker yarns, providing a heavier and rustic feel. They have superior drapability, providing more privacy and light filtering properties than most sheers. All three ranges come in 300cm wide and weighted hem, perfect for high ceilings.

Harvest sheer is soft, elegant and romantic. It is European made with a slight linen look texture. With super long 320cm width, Harvest can accommodate extra high ceilings or leave extra puddling on the floor for softness and a bit of interior romance. It also comes with weighted hem for a neat finish. 

“The Whitsundays sheer provides the perfect solution for those looking to colour coordinate the sheers with the blinds or curtains in their home. We noticed that many customers were struggling to find the right fabrics that can work well seamlessly when it comes to pairing different fabrics as they are not made using similar colour tones. 

“Overall, Wilson Fabrics’ Australian made drapery and blind ranges are created to coordinate harmoniously together providing similar colours while offering different textural feel, all of which ties back to the Whitsundays sheer drapery.”

Silent Gliss 

In 1980, Hoechst unveiled a revolutionary textile fibre that changed the game in interior design – Trevira CS (Comfort & Security). Silent Gliss and Tessitura Mario Ghioldi recognised the immense potential and joined forces. In 1981, Silent Gliss introduced Colorama 1, a high-quality fabric that set new standards for window coverings. Its remarkable success led to the birth of Colorama 2, a heavier and less transparent sibling. With demand soaring, production reached a staggering 50 million square metres, enough to encircle the globe. Today, almost 40 years later, Silent Gliss proudly presents the next generation of this iconic fabric, with extended design and performance attributes.

Colorama 2 Multicolour is a testament to the evolution of design. It offers accentuated colour and texture, adding depth and dimension to  window furnishings. This versatile Trevira CS fabric comes in a range of neutral colours, making it a perfect choice for modern interior designs. With the same appearance on both sides, it also functions beautifully as a room divider. The Colorama 2 textile is dyed before weaving, resulting in vibrant colours and a long-lasting finish.

In a world increasingly conscious of environmental impact, Colorama 2 Eco offers a sustainable fabric made from 100% recycled polyester. Designed with architects and designers committed to reducing their carbon footprint in mind, this eco-friendly sheer fabric utilises ColoramaTrevira CS eco yarn. With a palette of three neutral colours, it complements modern interiors beautifully while treading lightly on the planet.

In healthcare settings where hygiene is paramount, Colorama 2 Bioactive shines. Its bioactive finish helps reduce the spread of bacteria, viruses, and odours, making it ideal for patient rooms, examination areas, and other critical spaces. With the advent of global health concerns like Covid-19, Colorama 2 Bioactive has found its way into commercial and residential projects as well. Available in a broad spectrum of colours, it contributes to a pleasant and calming environment while delivering practical benefits.

With the trend toward open-plan living spaces and hard surfaces, the need for acoustic fabrics has grown. Colorama Acoustic addresses this demand effectively. This transparent fabric absorbs sound, delivering outstanding acoustic performance through its meticulously designed weave. Its ability to reduce sound reverberation makes it a versatile choice for modern interiors with higher ceilings and extensive glass surfaces. Available in widths up to 325 cm and various colours, it complements any design scheme, ensuring an acoustic haven.

Silent Gliss’ Colorama 2 is more than a curtain and blind fabric; it’s a symbol of innovation and sophistication. Woven from the original Trevira CS yarn, it extends beyond the ordinary with Multicolour, Acoustic, Bio and Eco options. With an impressive width of 3.4 metres, it offers endless design opportunities. This fabric is an acoustic marvel with sound absorption of αw 0.40, is flame retardant, tear-resistant, and recyclable. The Colorama 2 range even features antibacterial and aluminium-backed versions: Colorama 2 Bioactive, enriched with ionised silver fibres for antimicrobial properties, and Colorama 2 Alu, boasting a resistant aluminium backing for higher reflection and lower transparency.

Silent Gliss by Peter Meyer brings the Colorama 2 family to your fingertips, a treasure trove of sheer fabric options that redefine style, sustainability, and functionality. With its rich history and continuous innovation, Silent Gliss continues to shape the world of interior design, one timeless fabric at a time. Discover the limitless possibilities that Colorama 2 brings to your space and experience a new level of elegance and performance in window coverings.