AROUND HOME : Material Wealth: Living With Luxurious Fabrics by Jack Lenor Larsen (Abbeville Press Inc.; 1989)

“THE PRIMARY FUNCTION of furnishing fabrics,” writes widely known fabric designer Jack Lenor Larsen, “is to differentiate and personalize spaces and to give them a sense of place. It is not so much a physical function as a psychological one. These fabrics please the sensibilities as well as the senses, providing privacy, shielding us from glare . . . and muffling noises.”

But wisely choosing fabrics is also a process of education, and with his book Larsen offers comprehensive explanations to many facets of working with fabrics in the home and office.

There is also practical information: ideas on decorating as well as how to order fabric, gauging durability, colorfastness and calculating a fabric budget.