Interactive interiors: Preliminary study of integrating textile embellishment techniques and polymeric photonic fibers for interior textiles

Interactive interiors which are customizable to the design preferences and functional purposes of individual users can help create flexible interiors within fixed spaces. They are particularly relevant to densely populated cities where most people live in compact spaces. This proposed research explores interactive interior textile surfaces as an adaptive media which can transform interiors via the change of colors, luminescence and surface design. This is done by investigating the integration of textile base material via embellishment techniques, such as embroidery and felting, with polymeric photonic fibers (POF) which enhance tactile quality without compromising on the technological functionality. Their flexible application methods mean that, it is adaptable to the rigid nature of polymeric photonic fibers. In addition, embroidery has the unique ability to arrange and combine threads together with various materials in non-rigid formations and multiple directions to create stable two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms [1]. Different materials can be combined to explore aesthetically pleasing surface designs, textures and achieve positive tactile quality.