Diversity Grows in Chinese Furnishing-Fabric Market

Along with the enhancement of living standards in Chinese society, the Chinese furnishings-fabric market has acquired an increasingly sophisticated and diversified look with a dazzling display of traditional, Western, and hybrid products.

In the curtain sector, for instance, traditional Chinese curtains still play a central role in houses with Chinese-style decor. To overcome the problems of high prices and difficulty of cleaning silk products, faux-silk curtains have come into style; some models contain various metals and, being gold or silver in color, project a sense of fashion while retaining the elegance and fluidity of authentic silk curtains.

European-style curtains have also become increasingly popular, along with the growing acceptance of European decor among Chinese households, especially affluent ones. Some European curtains exude a royal aura, displaying an elegant and luxurious look, while others are simple and graceful in style, mostly in a classical brown color.

Winning the favor of growing numbers of Chinese customers are curtains made of mercerized cotton--the top-end cotton--which features a comfortable feel and elegant, glossy surface. Mercerized cotton is also good for the health, and keeps its shape and color relatively well. In addition, mercerized-cotton curtains can reduce noise from the outside by a typical 10-20%, thanks to their heavy texture.

In the bedding sector, an array of new products has become increasingly popular, eliminating the previous dominance of 100%-cotton products. Products made entirely of cotton have the advantages of good humidity absorption, good air permeability, and absence of static electricity and vulnerability to mildew, but they wrinkle easily.

New bedding materials which have come into vogue recently include cool hemp, colorful rayon, delicate silk, bright bamboo fiber, and soybean fiber.

Embroidery has also become a popular furnishing in Chinese households. Many embroidery products on the market today are stitched with the assistance of computers and feature patterns in both Chinese and Western styles, projecting an aura much different from that of traditional embroidery.