An Introduction to Modern Textiles: Kit out your furniture in luxurious silk or no-frills leather,; textiles can add just as much dimension to room as art, and can be equally collectible.

Sitting Pretty The ground floor was originally two rooms; now it’s been transformed into one continuous space. To compensate for a low ceiling, Kiely’s team dug into the ground to create a true sunken seating section leading to the garden. Built-in sofas, an Eames rocker, a stool by G Plan, and concrete tiles outfit the space. Kiely chose a neutral charcoal finish for the Malm fireplace to balance the green linoleum floor and her own Rhododendron wallpaper in Sunflower.

Kitchen Confidential Kiely and architect Maxim Laroussi designed the kitchen unit. “I originally didn’t want an island, but I liked what we did because it feels like a piece of furniture. It’s cozy to cook around,” Kiely says. Panels of orange and olive Formica accent the 1950s-inspired piece, which houses a cooktop by Smeg. A checkerboard of closed cabinets and open shelves offers storage against the far wall for Kiely’s collection of dishes, knickknacks, cookbooks, and small appliances, like the KitchenAid stand mixer and radio by Vita Audio. The floor is green Marmoleum, selected because it feels warm underfoot. Kiely’s own Stem dish towels and ceramic storage jars add more lively color to the room.

Textile designer Orla Kiely’s renovated London Terrace House is punctuated by her distinctive palette and motifs.

Home of the Brave In the ground-floor eating area, the design team wrapped the walls in rich walnut to instill warmth often found in mid-century homes. “Sometimes one bold move is enough. Be brave with fewer statements,” Kiely advises. “Go for the big thing rather than lots of little things.” Kiely’s Upholstered Dining Chairs from her House collection surround a Danish vintage dining table. Her Gloss vases adorn the hallway console, which is also from her House line.

Philippine mahogany paneling lines the walls in the living area. The space is complete with Wright-designed furniture and original Schumacher and Jack Lenor Larsen textiles.

The view from the kitchen looks across the courtyard into the playroom. The Stones stools are by Maya Lin for Knoll; the kid-friendly Teflon-coated Cybele fabric curtain is by Jack Lenor Larsen.

Barbara Hill's Dancehall/House in Marfa, Texas September 14, 2010 Misty Keasle

Among her latest products is an upholstery line, including the Rowridge pattern, shown on a circa-1960s chair by Liverpool company Guy Rogers.

In her studio, a hank winder spins bundles of wool yarn that are then used to stitch blanket edges.

Pritchard uses her 30-year-old George Wood dobby loom to make in-house samples. The loom is of the “peg-and-lag” variety, in which a pattern is made by a machine that works from a binary code. “It’s an old workhorse,” says Pritchard, “and has done a lot of mileage over the years!”

“Design needs to have a connection to where it’s made.”—Designer Eleanor Pritchard

Patterns match those of the pillows (625 Line, Signal, and Northerly).

Checking email over coffee, Hughston places his laptop on the fold-down Formica table that Sanders designed. Jack Lenor Larsen's Cybelle fabric covers the wall on his right. Above the sofa hangs an Italian pendant lamp of mysterious origin; if you recognize it, please contact us.

One of those experiments has yielded a recurring series of waffle structures.

Marimekko's iconic Unikko pattern celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Meg’s inspiration: The design of the Lucky Linden was something Meg carried along with from many years in her sketchbook. She loves the Art and Craft styled RV’s and was sure that if she built a tiny house RV someday, this would be a her inspiration. What she like most of this pattern is the low sloped roofs, pop out dormers on the front as well as back and especially the bungalow look from the Sears and Roebuck kit houses which were prevalent in the 1990’s.

Textiles by Sveinbjörg-Being forced to rethink your whole profession and output is no simple task. In the case of life-long artist Sveinbjörg Hallgrímsdóttir, the change was born out of the nation's financial strife. "The collapse of the Icelandic economy forced us to think about how to be more commercial, more marketable, around the globe," claimed the designer. For Hallgrímsdóttir, the answer was to transfer her painted motifs and wood block prints to textiles and other home accessories. The international outlook forced on many local designers also reached Hallgrímsdóttir’s manufacturing. All her textiles are produced and distributed from Sweden, but her own store is still located in the northern Icelandic town of Akureyri with a population of just under 18,000. Photo by: Tiffany Orvet

Toghal Textiles Placing equal weight on backstory, sourcing, and colorful patterns, textiles from Toghal showcase an array of eye-catching patterns on blankets, pillows, umbrellas, and kitchen linen.

CaribBEING CaribBEING is a boutique non-profit organization whose mission is to build community through the lens of the Caribbean cinema, culture, and art. Products include Caribbean-inspired, tote bags, tea towels, textiles, pouches, and stationery.

Textiles, including the Lattice pattern, are produced by staff that work at eight-yard-long printing tables, pressing woodblocks into fabric and hand-printing to order.

Another similar tool that designers might use is a mood board, which seeks to convey the feeling or vibe of a space with images instead of the exact fabric or colors that will be used in a space. A mood board abstractly conveys inspiration, ideas, and connections that would otherwise be hard to explain using just color or words.

Dutch textile designer Mae Engelgeer's webshop, Magasin Mae, has a colorful cache of blankets, pillow covers, tea towels, and home goods, like the tea towel shown here. $28

Textile designer Jack Leonor Larsen’s fabrics can be seen throughout the Dow home. In the early 1950s Florence Knoll commissioned Larsen’s olive-green and orange textiles for Knoll furnishings.

His hanging lights sport textile-like lampshades made from recycled plastic scraps.

A sliver of a creation by textile designer Bridie Ross Mowat.

Richard Lear Memorial on the grounds of Jack Lenor Larsen's LongHouse Reserve, with Sunbrella outdoor fabric pillows.

A selection of colorful cushions invite lounging on the 1949 Edward Wormley sofa for Dunbar of textile designer Jack Lenor Larson.

At the top of the stairs, an Ib Kofod-Larsen rocker sits in the master bedroom

Adagio suspended seat by Francesco Rota for Paola Lenti, shown on the grounds of Jack Lenor Larsen's LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, New York.

Illustration by David Galletly

Illustration by David Galletly

As creative director of Knoll since 2005, Cosonas is constantly looking to fashion because of its profound influence on interior design. Learn how she has collaborated with major fashion houses to take her fabrics to the next level.

“The magic of this project has been how a puzzle of seemingly infinite pieces was put together” in order to bring the lamps to market.