Fabric Searching on the Cheap

 

My current favorite “cheap” fabric:   Calico Corners sells this fabric as Vienna Flowers Vintage for $31.99.  Robert Allen sells it as Eleria Green Tea, wholesale it is a lot less.

 

I was searching  for an inexpensive fabric for a client when an email from Calico Corners caught my eye.  I’ve been disappointed with Calico Corners ever since they changed policy – no more in-store stock, you can only order fabric.  Well, I’ve got the Decorative Center for that, if I want to wait.  Calico Corners was always good for that last minute job – run in and run out.  I’m not sure if this is a chain-wide policy change, but that’s how it is in Houston.  Wow – what a great business decision – make your customers wait.   I haven’t been back since.   Still, a quick look at some of their “newer” fabrics caught my eye.  Some I’ve been seeing around a lot lately. 

 

 

For instance, this blue and white Ikat from Calico Corners seems to be everywhere these days.  The cotton Kalah Ikat comes in both navy and spice, retailing at $23.99.

 

A recent spotting of the Calico Corner Kalah Ikat was on the online magazine Lonny when they showed Ellie Somerville’s apartment.

 

 

Recently, Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home used two panels of the Calico Corners Kalah Ikat, framed in this dining room.  I think this is such a great idea!  The bright blue bounces off the deep red painted walls. 

 

 

Apartment Therapy ran this question about Tyler Dawson’s curtains.   She used the Suzanne Rheinstein ikat by Lee Jofa.  Pricey, certainly.   But doesn’t it look very similar to the Calico Corners Kalah Ikat in spice?  

 

 

The spice Kalah Ikat from Calico Corner is a dead ringer for the much more expensive Lee Jofa Ikat.

 

The Suzanne Rheinstein Ikat for Lee Jofa comes in several colors.  I prefer the softer blue than this brighter blue. It is a gorgeous fabric.  But, not everyone can or wants to spend the money when there is another fabric that looks very similar and costs much less. 

 

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The interior designer and blogger Urban Grace used the pricey Rheinstein ikat in her kitchen window.  HERE.

 

 

 

As always – first check with Lewis and Sheron Textile Co. when looking for inexpensive fabric copies.   They seem to beat everyone’s prices.   Above are two ikats that rival the originals and the Calico Corners copies. 

 

 

Another popular fabric that is often copied is the Suzani.    The suzani from  Calico Corner reminds me of two different fabrics.   

 

 

Their “Suzanni” shown on the ottoman comes in three colorways at $32.99

 

 

It is almost a dead ringer for the beautiful Carlton V Suzani, shown here in a bedroom designed by Sara Gilbane.   Gorgeous!  I can only imagine how much this room cost in fabric, the  Carlton V is not cheap and certainly the Calico Corners fabric would be a huge savings. 

 

 

The Calico Corner Suzanni in Jewel is a copy of one of the more popular  Brunschwig and Fils suzani, Dzhambul. 

 

Brunschwig’s suzani included in this tent’s fabrics.

 

 

 

The Brunschwig suzani first showed up in the blogosphere here in this bedroom by Krista Ewart in 2007.

 

 

 

Popular blogger Style Court covered her bench a year earlier in 2006 – in Dzhambul.   Recently, the fabric has shown up again.

 

 

 

First online magazine Lonny showed wing chairs covered in the Brunschwig suzani at  Tom Dolby and Drew Frist’s Hamptons house.  I love the way the walls are painted to blend with the fabric.

 

 

 

 

And then, blogger Little Green Notebook used it for her parent’s living room.  Except, here – she actually used the copy of the fabric from Lewis and Sheron.

 

 

While Calico Corners charges $32.99 for their copy of the Brunschwig’s fabric, Lewis and Sheron charges only $24.98 for their copy. 

 

 

 

Calico Corners line of assorted suzanis. 

 

The Calico Corner’s Corazon Seaglass suzani at $58.99 reminds me of the Donghia suzanis.

 

 

The Donghia Suzani is much more expensive than the Calico Corners Corazon suzani, but its a good copy.

 

 

 

 

More favorites of the new fabrics from Calico Corners are from the French Stripes Collection.    Much quieter than the other bold ethnic prints, these cotton/linen blends are from $29.99 to $36.99 and they seem to be an answer to the burlap and natural linen craze of the past year. 

 

 

Here, designer Carol Glasser used pricey original ticking as a table cloth.

 

From Veranda, original ticking is more costly than the  Calico Corners copies.   Shannon Bowers interior.

 

 

 

This Calico Corners fabric, Florabunda, is a a linen blend for $22.99.   It reminded me of a Bennison print, all faded with wonderfully large flowers.

 

 

It’s extremely hard to copy a Bennison fabric since they are hand blocked, but their Dragon Flower does seem similar to the Florabunda I think.

 

 

 

   Ballard Designs’ Suzanne Kasler Collection recently debuted beautiful new linens.  The soft blue is a favorite of mine.  All linens, shown above, retail for $32.00 but are now on sale for $28.00.

 

 

Suzanne Kasler’s linens for Ballard Designs.  The blush and mineral are both so pretty. 

 

 

Robert Allen’s Eleria in Green Tea and Biscotti

 

When it was all said and done, the fabric I want for my client is a personal favorite – the Robert Allen linen, Eleria.   I first saw this fabric in a house nearby mine and fell in love with it.  This neighbor had used the fabric in the biscotti colorway for curtains in the master bedroom.  The biscotti has a lot aqua in it, while the green tea colorway has raspberry and peacock blue.   The green tea colorway will be perfect against the coffee brown linen I plan to use on my client’s sofa.  The best part is the price, it wholesales  for under $20 and that can’t be beat. 

 

A closeup of the green tea colors – the leaves are a light and dark brown which picks up the sofa colors.   I want to use two raspberry velvet pillows on the sofa, along with one or two Eleria pillow. 

 

But of course, others have used this fabric before me.  Again, the blogger Little Green Notebook used it for curtains in a client’s bedroom.   She found her fabric at Calico Corners under the name Vienna Flower Vintage for $31.99 HERE.    Interestingly, the Biscotti colorway is available at Calico Corners, but only in silk!  It costs $57.99   A lot of the online fabric houses sell Eleria, mostly for around $30.00.  

 

 

Little Green Notebook used Eleria Green Tea for curtains in a master bedroom HERE. 

 

 

 

For my client, I plan to use the Eleria for curtains, just like these above.  It looks great against her existing fabrics and wall color, but the problem is that she doesn’t like the birds.  I am trying to explain to her that once the fabric is hanging she won’t really see the birds – as you can tell in this picture.   I like how the dark brown shades look against the fabric, which is exactly how I want to use it, if only she can get over her bird phobia.  Wish me luck!!!

 

Do you have a favorite “cheap” fabric you like to use?  

 

NOTE:   The new Skirted Roundtable is now ready for listening.  It’s just the three of us, Linda, Megan and myself, talking about all the recent changes in the magazine world.  Thank you for your continued support – to listen, go HERE.