Designer Maggie Dillon on Performance Fabrics and Textiles She's Collecting
By Ridley Gow
Photo by Anna Routh Barzin
Maggie Bratton Dillon is an interior designer based in Raleigh, North Carolina, known for creating spaces that feel both personal and timeless. Her work is chock-full of pattern and color—our favorite. We love how she used Campobello in Spruce for her client, photographer, and friend, Anna Routh Barzin. Anna told us,
The couch in Mahalo makes the room and was the first thing we picked!
We sat down with Maggie to pick her brain on how to mix performance and traditional fabrics, Sister Parish prints she's eyeing for her next project, and textiles she's collecting.
What was the biggest challenge in this space that led you to choose this fabric?
I wouldn't call it a challenge necessarily, but with two young kids in this client's house, I knew we needed something that could handle spills, sticky hands, and all the other surprises that come with family life. This fabric struck the perfect balance between looking great and holding up to everyday chaos.
What's your philosophy on mixing performance and traditional fabrics in one space?
I think functionality tends to win out for most of my clients, and I’m all for it. If a space needs to be fully outfitted in performance fabrics, that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice the look, and we'll make it work beautifully. With that said, I almost always try to add in a few traditional textiles where I can, like on lampshades, window treatments, or other elements that aren’t subject to everyday wear and tear (read: kids and pets!).
What's the most unexpected place you've used performance fabric?
I have used a performance fabric on a set of antique dining chairs and they turned out really well for that particular project. We got all the charm and character of the old pieces, but with the durability that life can demand.
What's the biggest misconception clients have about performance fabrics? (if any!)
That they’ll feel stiff or look too utilitarian. Performance textiles have come a long way in both look and feel in the last several years!
Are you eyeing any Sister Parish for your next project?
I adore the Campobello Performance in the Verdigris colorway, and especially love the fact that it's reversible. Gives me that much more flexibility in how we can use it, and that color in particular has the perfect vintage feel.
As a fabric and wallpaper brand, we are all naturally textile hoarders—collecting vintage fabrics and wallpaper scraps wherever we go. We're curious if you do the same? Anything you're always on the lookout for? Any saved eBay searches we should know about?
I have way more fabric remnants than I probably should, but I’m fully convinced they’ll all find a home eventually. I’m a sucker for any old stripe, ticking or other, and I always love a block print with a little flare. The search is never-ending!
