Kelly Wearstler fabrics

Kelly Wearstler fabrics were drawn in Los Angeles, where the designer set up her studio in 1995 and grew it into an interdisciplinary design house working on hotels and private residences. That background shows in the cloth: firm pattern, hand-drawn line, color used as structure rather than trim.

Woven by Groundworks and Lee Jofa

The weaving runs through Lee Jofa, the American house where her own line carries the name Lee Jofa Modern, and through Groundworks. That pairing explains the character of the range: an artist's visual language put through an established weaving tradition. Wearstler was born in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 1967 and started out in hospitality. Her work mixes modern and historical references, and the textiles do the same.

From linen-look texture to smooth graphic prints

Part of the range has the natural look of woven linen, or of a coarsely structured material. The rest is smooth and flat, built to hold a printed line cleanly. Rhythmic, organic patterns sit between those poles, and the color pairings are deliberate.

Matching the weave to the job: drapery, upholstery, cushions

These cloths are developed for more than one use: drapery, upholstery and made-to-measure cushions. Which of the three you have in mind decides which weave to look at. A long repeat needs surface before it reads, so it does more across a window than on a small chair seat, while a tight textured weave holds a compact frame. Next to other geometric fabrics this line is on the outspoken side, so a plain fabric in a tone lifted from the weave is the usual way to keep a room in balance.

Judging color and texture before you order

Order a sample and live with it for a few days. Pin it up where the fabric will sit, check it in morning light and again under the lamps you use at night, then step back about six feet (1.8 m) to see how the pattern reads at normal distance. Cleaning is not the same for every weave, so go by the care instructions supplied with your choice.

Pairing Kelly Wearstler fabrics with the wallpaper

Pattern and color hold together better when they run through a whole room, so the Kelly Wearstler wallpaper range is worth opening next to the textiles; the papers sit in the Kelly Wearstler Wallpapers collection. If the cloth is to lead, keep the walls quiet and lift the wall color out of the weave.

Ordering these textiles in the United States

As an official dealer, Selected Wallpapers supplies original Kelly Wearstler textiles and nothing else. Samples are ordered online. Tell us what the fabric is for, a pair of drapes, a dining chair, a set of cushions, and we will say which weaves suit it. We ship to the United States with duties and taxes included.