Barkcloth is a wonderful fabric for making curtains and pillows for midcentury homes and tropical home tiki bars too. In this update to my original 2011 story, I scanned anew for companies still making barkcloth today. Since 2011, we lost one beloved maker (Full Swing Textiles). Even so, today there seems to be more designs of barkcloth available than I can ever remember. In all, I count more than 150 different barkcloth fabrics on the market, from six companies, with mid century, contemporary, tropical and even googie designs. All things tropical — including tiki — are hot in the design world, and these rooms needs their barkcloth curtains and pillows!
- What distinguishes “barkcloth” from other fabrics: As I understand it, the colors are typically printed onto ‘slubby’ or ‘nubbly’ cotton fabric that is typically fairly heavy weight (too heavy weight for apparel, for example). Even given the heavier weight, check manufacturers’ specifications regarding any given fabric’s applicability for upholstery vs. accessory uses like drapery and pillows.
- And note, in the list that follows, I am pretty liberal about what is allowed to be called “barkcloth.” As always, it’s best to get a sample before you commit and as noted above, check with the manufacturer about recommended uses for the fabric.
#1 Trendtex (Barkcloth Hawaii) — 106 barkcloth designs!
To be sure, Trendtex Fabrics out of Hawaii is the big manufacturer of tropical design barkcloth. As I write this story, they show 106 different barkcloth designs (available in various fabric constructions/weights). That’s a mighty selection! See all the Trendtex barkcloth options on their website HawaiiBarkcloth.com here.
Above: Here’s how Trendtex describes their different fabric types — but again, order samples first to ensure you know what you are getting is what you are expecting.
#2 — Hoffman Fabrics — 12 barkcloth designs
Added to the list in March 2019: 11 screenprinted barkcloth designs by Hoffman California-International Fabrics. This includes eight tropical patterns and three retro googie patterns. These look very promising — I am going to contact the company to get samples to check them out first-hand. Wow: Hoffman Fabrics has been in business since 1924 — run by the same family. They are based in Mission Viejo, Calif.
- Tropical design barkcloth from Hoffman Fabrics
- Check out their retro barkcloths too
- Note: This company is a manufacturer, see this page on where to find their fabrics retail.
#3 — Stylemaker Fabrics
Update: Barkcloths no longer on their website, but I’ll leave this up so that I remember to check again in the future.
#4 — Island Paradise Barkcloth by Sevenberry / Robert Kaufman — 22 barkcloth designs
Updating this story I discovered this new line of Island Paradise Barkcloth by Sevenberry from Robert Kaufman Sevenberry — 22 designs in all, some available now and some coming to stores in April 2019. While I am not quire sure of the fabric composition — that is: Is it slubby enough to qualify as “barkcloth,” the patterns look quite nice.
#5 — Cloud 9 Fabrics barkcloth — 8 designs currently
For more modern (rather than tropical) barkcloth designs, Cloud 9 Fabrics is the maker to watch. It seems like every year, one of their designers comes out with a new batch of designs. These collections are time-limited, so if you want ’em, nab ’em. Right now, it’s Homestyle by Eloise Renouf.
#6 — Birch Fabric — 10 Charley Harper barkcloth patterns coming September 2019
Update April 19 — I see that Birch Fabric will have 10 barkcloth designs featuring Charley Harper prints available in September 2019. These are all mid century modern motifs. I like the idea of a few of them for woodsy paneled rooms, or maybe kitchen valences.
#7 — Buy vintage barkcloth
Of course, when it comes to draperies… or for fabric for pillows… you also can put your vibes out there and wait for the retro decorating gods to send some vintage your way. Watch ebay, etsy, and of course my favorite: estate sales. I have, many a time, bought draperies still hanging from the windows.
Florida Bungalow(affiliate link) is a well-known collector of vintage barkcloth and has an amazing collection, for example.
Know, though, that vintage barkcloth is super collectible these days. Pristine sets of vintage barkcloth curtains can cost a pretty penny!
This story was updated from the original published in January 2011.
Amanda says
spoonflower.com is another interesting resource. They don’t sell actual vintage barkcloth, but Spoonflower is an interesting concept though. Basically, you design your own print or pattern and Spoonflower will print that onto various types of fabric. Or there are some designers that have some nifty atomic-y and mid-century prints too.
Joy says
I’ve used J&O and Tonic Living. Both are brilliant sellers. I tried Melinamade before but yes, the contact form wasn’t working.
I’ve re-upholstered an old Ercol sofa a few years back and here’s a photo from my blog
http://alexdrakevintage.blogspot.com/2011/04/10-things-i-like-about-1950s.html
Thanks for this great post.
Kind regards,
Joy xx
sputnikmoss says
I recommend J&O. Seven years ago when we bought our house we tried to find vintage fabric for curtains. We were lucky with Ebay to find enough for most of our windows except for the 18 foot wide, floor to ceiling windows in our front room. We ordered 25 yards! of the Calder print online and they shipped the same day! We took the fabric to a drapery company that made us muslin lined pinch pleat curtains. We love them!
Palm Springs Stephan says
MelinaMadeFarics seems to have gone out of business. The contact page on their site is non-functional, as is the newsletter sign-up form. The telephone number listed is answered by a machine and a voice named Jacqueline, but calls go unreturned. Postal mail sent to the street address in Dixon is returned as undeliverable. If anyone knows what happened, I’d be curious to know.
Shelly says
Here’s a little insider tip for Tonic Living purchases… enter “airstream” in the promo/coupon code box and you’ll save 10%. Yippee!
Jeff says
I have to admit to being a fabric junkie- barkcloth being one of them.
My best find of recent years is an amazing bark in chocolate brown with wild tiki design motifs in aqua, pink, yellow and white, like masks, zulu warriors, atomic looking straw huts, canoes, just about everything island tropical you can imagine.
And I have six 8 foot wide lined panels 96″ long! All in great condition, being retrofitted this next spring for the breezeway/familyroom with knotty pine ceiling (soon to be installed, and vintage, BTW).
Tikimama says
Jeff – I am dying to see that fabric and your room! Please do share!
Jeff says
Hi Tikimama, will be glad to, in Florida for the winter, mostly, but will scan some of the fabric and post it when I’m back up north.
Giving the contractor some time off for good behavior!
vintigchik says
I LOVE to sew and LOVE to collect vintage fabric as well as vintage patterns. (and everything else in between) These fabrics are wonderful, Pam. I get so excited when I find a great piece of fabric or a pattern. Vintage clothing is getting harder to find, so it’s nice to be able to recreate these pieces. I love using vintage fabric and patterns together. I have saved so much money sewing everything from curtains, to pillows, to clothing. It is a great hobby.
Anita says
I have ordered from J&O, Tonic Living and Full Swing Textiles. All have been very pleasant and easy to deal with. We just got the cushions done for our vintage rattan 3 piece sofa – we used Full Swing’s Bird of Paradise in neutral for the body of the cushions, red piping and yellow sides – love love love it! Looks perfect behind our other new find which is a vintage coffee table I can’t describe, but we saw it at Prime Time Cafe at Disney Hollywood Studios and had to have one. Two tier formica boomerang-ish amoeba-ish shape, so fab!
stacey says
thank you for this post! i used to get tons of great repro barkcloth from reprodepot but over the holiday i discovered they pretty much closed down the site. 🙁
all these listed have been bookmarked!
Kay says
Speaking of great MCM decorating…have you, Pam, or any other readers seen the recent movie “Flipped”. It is family friendly and has some of the yummiest late 1950s touches that I have ever seen in a movie. Get it on video! You’ll like it!
Puzzy says
Kay- Haven’t seen it but I will get it and watch! Thanks for the tip!