ARE HIGH-END FABRICS WORTH THE INVESTMENT?
There are fabrics available for curtains & blinds at any price point you can imagine. But are high-end fabrics really worth the extra expense?
At MTC, our fabrics range between $20 per metre through to $120 per metre. This bracket is considered low to moderate for quality drapery fabrics. But the prices can certainly go up from there! It’s not unusual to hear of beautifully printed English cottons costing upwards of $200 per metre. Similarly, for the highest quality Belgian linen, you could be faced with $400 or more per metre.
WHY ARE HIGH-END FABRICS SO EXPENSIVE?
There are a number of factors that contribute to the cost of a fabric. A high-end fabric will usually come from reputable mills, known for high standards of production. These fabrics are often made from natural fibres such as cotton, linen or silk and can include woven elements, raised designs, screen prints, embroidery, quilting, tufting, embossing and more. Because of the cost of producing some of these textiles, it can eliminate ‘copycats’ from competitors who are unable to recreate the same quality.
The downside of many high-end fabrics is a major lack of stock kept within Australia. Most of these fabrics are relatively low demand, meaning it is more cost effective for fabric houses to import stock as it’s ordered. Therefore, it can take many weeks for a fabric to arrive, which in turn adds to the overall turnaround time of the entire job. We once had to wait 12 weeks for one such fabric to arrive! Though admittedly, the final result was worth it.
DOES THIS MEAN BUDGET-FRIENDLY FABRICS PERFORM POORLY?
Absolutely not! We have done our research on our suppliers, and only work with those whose fabrics are known to perform well in the harsh Australian conditions. You won’t find any of our fabrics marked down in the big haberdashery warehouses. We particularly love to work with fabrics produced in New Zealand, as they have extremely high production standards. We work with reputable fabric companies such as Basford Brands, Mokum/James Dunlop, Warwick, Charles Parsons, Zepel, etc. as they stand behind their fabrics’ performance with excellent warranties.
USING EXPENSIVE FABRICS ON A BUDGET
You’ve fallen in love with a $200 per metre printed fabric, but it will break the bank because you need 30 metres for your curtains? There’s a rather stylish way to use your fabric, while keeping the required metreage low. Let me introduce to you the contrast hem! While two thirds of your curtain are plain, the bottom third makes a statement with your gorgeous printed fabric. It also gives your curtains a truly customised look.
