Artistic or architectural, sheers are the window treatment of the moment, and we have the ultimate edit
Sunnier spring and summer days call for diaphanous fabrics, and this year we are seeing more intriguing ways to use them than ever before. Sheers can be used across a whole wall to create a softly architectural effect or can even become a canvas in their own right, like the design above by artist Josana Blue, who hand-dyed 16 panels of chiffon to create a joyful textile artwork for the window of event planner and designer Jove Meyer’s home.
‘The magic of hand-painted sheers is that the colour opacity changes through the day and into the night. It’s like having a live painting in your house that blooms every day,’ says Blue. Search our edit of contemporary and innovative sheers for a design that will bring you light and joy.
‘Pernille’ sheer fabric, Elitis
For sheers with an ephemeral beauty and alluring textural quality, look to the subtle tone-on-tone detailing of ‘Pernille’ from the new ‘Copenhague’ collection by Elitis. Not only does it playfully filter the light, but its texture will flutter in any breeze. From £286 per metre, elitis.fr
‘Tabi’ sheer fabric, Larsen
Lightweight and delicate, this linen-mix sheer has an organic quality to the seeming randomness of its yarns – step closer and you’ll appreciate that the pattern is reminiscent of tree bark glowing in the sun. £180 per roll, designs.colefax.com
‘Banff’ sheer fabric, Prestigious Textiles
There’s a painterly quality to our favourite design from the newly launched ‘Rockies’ collection. Named ‘Banff’ (pictured on the far right of this image), it has a gentle tiled effect that is a simple way to introduce pattern. £55.20 per metre, prestigious.co.uk
‘Nevicava’ sheer fabric, Dedar
This heavier jacquard fabric has a unique approach to transparency, with sheer sections appearing amid its geometric and sculptural pattern. Made from Egyptian makò cotton, the fabric is ideal for someone who craves light but also greater privacy. Price on application, dedar.com
‘Notus’ sheer fabric, Zinc
There’s a metallic gleam and an energy to the hand-painted meandering lines on this 100% linen fabric, that catches the light as well as any breeze. Two colours are available, ‘Cognac’ (pictured) and ‘Linen’. £250 per metre, zinctextile.com
‘Transparent Reflect’ sheer fabric, Kvadrat
Ideal for a more architectural look, innovative fabric house Kvadrat’s latest launch, ‘Transparent Reflect’ by Louise Sigvardt, has a modern metallic sheen thanks to its aluminium backing. £146 per metre, kvadrat.dk
‘Siro Sonnet’ sheer fabric, Black Edition
To create the dappled effect on this sheer, a method known as devoré (or burnout) has been used, where some of the fibres are dissolved during the printing process to leave areas of delicate transparency. £179 per metre, blackedition.com
‘Thousand Nights’ sheer fabric, Rubelli
The Mughal temples, elephants and figures depicted within the tone-on-tone embroidery pattern of this magical sheer seem to appear in the light as if out of nowhere. It’s also available in a ‘Saffron’ colourway, but we love the ethereal nature of ‘Salt’ (pictured). Price on application, rubelli.com
‘Arbre de Printemps’ sheer fabric, Designers Guild
Renowned for its fresh palette and finesse with florals, Trisha Guild’s company Designers Guild is a natural choice for sheers. We love its ‘Arbre de Printemps’ fabric, with a verdant scene originally designed for wallpaper translated onto the floatiest of fabrics. £165 per metre, designersguild.com
‘Oishi’ sheer fabric, Kieffer
Talked-about designers of the moment FormaFantasma’s new sheer, ‘Oishi’, for Rubelli’s sister brand Kieffer, takes an unusual approach: a linen warp with a weft handmade from Japanese paper cut into thin strips. £224 per metre, rubelli.com
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