Fabric Crush: St. Frank
It's no secret that we're fanatical about fabric here at Revitaliste. Ranking high on our favorite's list are the vibrant patterns and rich colors of traditional textiles from around the world. St. Frank, well known for their gorgeous framed textile art, has designed a global capsule collection of fabric-by-the-yard influenced by West African mud cloth, Central African Kuba cloth, Tibetan sherma, Uzbeki suzani and Mesoamerican huipil embroidery along with fresh designs on indigo dyed fabrics.
We've collaborated with St. Frank on numerous projects to bring their bold fabric collection to life on antique/vintage and new furnishings (read details of one project here). Mud Cloth on Japanese moon chairs, Indigo Vines on a Louis XVI settee, Tibetan Pangden on Danish mid century club chairs – these timeless textile patterns can work on any furniture style and era - it's multiculturalism at its best!
We spoke with St. Frank founder, Christina Bryant, to learn more about the inspiration behind the collection.
mud cloth - black
mud cloth - charcoal
mud cloth - ecru
Why did you decide to launch a fabric-by-the-yard collection?
We wanted to make our fabrics accessible to collectors in customizable form. Fabric by the yard is a way to bring St. Frank to new surfaces to transform a space, whether you’re wrapping your walls or refinishing a favorite furniture piece.
uzbeki lakai suzani
tibetan pangden
How would you describe the look and feel of the collection?
We describe our aesthetic as bohemian luxury and I believe the fabric and wallpaper reflect this. Our brand is rooted in traditional crafts from cultures around the world. The line is inspired by the most iconic St. Frank prints that range from delicate floral suzani embroidery to rough, rustic kuba cloth.
washed indigo
indigo arrows - stone blue
indigo vines
indigo dots
Can you tell me more about how these textiles are designed and produced?
Our fabrics by the yard are close replicas and interpretations of both our contemporary and vintage textile lines. We start with a section of the handmade textile that we find particularly strong, create an archival image, and then edit the repeat, scale and color-way until we get to the final concept.
How did you arrive at the color palette?
The St. Frank home is grounded in black, blue, and white with pops of color from pink to yellow. This is consistent throughout our category expansion, including yardage.
pink diamond huipil
kuba cloth - amber
forest huipil
kuba cloth - coffee
Do you have favorites? Which ones and why?
My current favorite fabric by the yard is our Kuba Cloth. I think it combines modern and rustic elements. I’m using this to recover my desk chair at the moment.
After your experience collaborating with Revitaliste on various revitalization projects, do you have any advice for customers who are interested in revitalizing a piece of their own?
Revitalizing a piece of furniture is one of the best ways to update a space. While the process can be intimidating, it an extraordinary way to make over an old favorite or completely change a dud into a stud. With Revitaliste’s help, the work to redo a favorite piece is SO easy!