Ikat: An ancient textile for a modern world

Inspiration comes when you least expect it, and that was the case when we first discovered Uzbek ikat fabrics.

Vibrant mix of colors and patterns, showcasing our hand-woven ikat fabric on the pillows (adras sku #R168)

Room by interior designer ashleywhittakerdesign , featured in @verandamag , march-april 2018 issue.

Photo: @maxkimbee

The year was 2006, and my wife Karine and I had recently open a small antiques shop in Manhattan's midtown design district. Our specialty was French 18th century with some 1940's modern thrown in for good measure. Since it was a fairly new business, we were open to new ideas, particularly when it came to giving our somewhat traditional inventory new life.

Around this time, we were approached by a man selling fabrics door-to-door on our street. He told us they were ikat textiles from Uzbekistan and, despite having no immediate use for them ...we bought all he had!

"...He told us they were ikat textiles from Uzbekistan and, despite having no immediate use for them ...we bought all he had!..."

My wife, I should point out, is a European trained upholsterer, so when an interesting French cabriolet armchair came our way, it fell on her to redo it for the shop.

Rather than using any of the traditional fabrics from our collection, she chose to upholster the chair in one of the ikats we had recently bought .

I was skeptical at first, but I had to admit the combination was stunning. She chose a tan and cream chevron pattern. There was something modern yet timeless about the combination.

Traditional yet unique

It reminded us of the French traveler of the mid 20th century, who after visiting far off places, brought artifacts back home to incorporate them in their interiors.

Ikat fabric had found their way into our design aesthetic, and were here to stay!

#ikat #textile #fabric #upholstery #antiques #design #interiordesign #berminghamfabrics