The Art and Technique of Decorating with Fabric

At heart, this is an illustrated survey of 500 years of curtain styles for windows and beds. ``No one is saying that it is easy to be an individualist,'' caution the authors, who urge imaginative over ``obvious'' choices: rich colors (e.g., achieved from deep-piled fabrics); unusual color combinations (``dazzling black and white''); and off-beat sources for trimmings (auctions, junk shops). They also extol the virtues of simplicity (avoiding a cluttered look, letting curtain fabric ``speak for itself ''), harmony and proportion. They consider difficult windows (Gothic-arched); neglected spaces (landings); rooms unfriendly to fabric (kitchens); cut sizes for curtains, valances, swags and tails; how to apply linings, interlinings and weights; and installation of poles, tracks and valances for windows, crowns and canopies for beds. For readers collaborating with a decorator, this sourcebook will be helpful, while those who sew can use it to forge their own style. Full-color photographs offer a riot of ideas to apply or modify. Paine is a British interior designer; Clifton-Mogg is interiors editor of Harper's and Queen. (Nov.)