Cretonne

Cretonne is heavy printed cotton or linen for furnishing, the matte, hard-wearing cousin of chintz, carrying the same large floral and pictorial prints but without the polished glaze. It dressed the upholstered furniture, curtains, and loose covers of the nineteenth and early twentieth century home, cheaper and more washable than glazed chintz and so more democratic. Where chintz signalled the drawing room, cretonne furnished the whole house.

Illustration: an Edwardian parlor, a deep armchair in large floral printed cotton, curtains to match, a tea table, filtered light — An Edwardian parlor, a deep armchair in large floral printed cotton, curtains to match, a tea table, filtered light.

Named for

By tradition named for the Norman village of Creton, or for a Paul Creton said to have first made it.

Common questions

What is Cretonne made of?: Cretonne is heavy printed cotton or linen for furnishing, the matte, hard-wearing cousin of chintz, carrying the same large floral and pictorial prints but without the polished glaze.
What is Cretonne named after?: By tradition named for the Norman village of Creton, or for a Paul Creton said to have first made it.