Burghley Floral Cotton Damasks

Floral Cotton Damask Fabric

Welcome to Burghley; 100% cotton jacquard damasks based on the tradition of European floral furnishing fabrics.

The designs are woven rather than printed, with the pattern created by changes in the structure and texture of the weave. This gives the cloth a subtle depth which is particularly noticeable as the light changes. In the plain colours, the floral design can appear quite restrained from a distance, becoming much more apparent when seen close up.

Floral woven fabrics of this kind have a long history. Damasks and other figured textiles were being woven in Europe centuries before the development of the Jacquard loom, particularly in silk and linen. They were expensive fabrics, used for clothing as well as curtains, wall hangings and upholstery.

The introduction of Jacquard weaving in the early nineteenth century made complicated woven patterns much easier to produce. The technique was subsequently widely adopted by British manufacturers, including the cotton weaving industry of Lancashire. By the Victorian period, woven floral jacquards had become an established furnishing fabric.

The fabrics in the Burghley Collection work particularly well for curtains or loose slip covers where the larger repeat can be seen properly. The tonal designs are useful where a patterned fabric is wanted without the stronger effect of a multicoloured print.

They are well suited to period properties and traditional interiors, but the simpler colourways also work surprisingly well in more contemporary rooms.