An interview with Hailey Worke, Director of Shared Services at EarlyBird Electric
Anyone who has ordered fabric swatches knows the moment: a color that looked perfect in the showroom looks a little different once it's on the sofa at home. The fabric stayed the same. The light changed. For more than 90 years, Zarin Fabrics has helped New Yorkers choose upholstery and drapery fabrics, from plush chenille to crisp linen, and its in-house team handles custom upholstery, tailored drapery, and furniture built from the frame up. So how a fabric will look once it's in the room is a question that comes up at every stage of a project. To get an electrician's view on it, Zarin Fabrics spoke with Hailey Worke, Director of Shared Services at EarlyBird Electric. EarlyBird Electric has served Twin Cities and Rochester homeowners since 1990 and holds a 4.8 out of 5.0 average across more than 4,000 Google reviews.
Q1: Why should homeowners think about lighting while choosing fabrics and finishes?
Hailey Worke: Because the two work together. Lighting and finishes are part of the same thing you see when you walk into a room. A fabric that looks warm and deep in a showroom can look cooler or flatter under the bulbs you have at home. And natural light shifts over the course of the day. So before you commit to upholstery, drapery, or a palette for the whole room, look at the samples in the actual space, both in daylight and under the lights you use at night.
Q2: How can the color temperature of a bulb affect a room?
Hailey Worke: Warmer light brings out reds, creams, golds, and wood tones. Cooler light makes whites, blues, and grays look crisper. Neither one is automatically better. It depends on the room, the materials, and the feel the homeowner is going for. What does matter is consistency. If fixtures near each other have noticeably different color temperatures, the same fabric can look like it changes from one part of the room to the next.
Q3: What should homeowners look for when lighting textured fabrics?
Hailey Worke: Texture shows up more when light hits it from an angle. Chenille, velvet, linen, and dimensional weaves tend to look their best with layered lighting instead of one bright fixture overhead. Mix ambient light, lamps, and some focused accent lighting, and you get soft highlights and shadows across the fabric. That brings out the character of the material, and the room still doesn't feel harsh or overlit.
Q4: When should an electrician become part of an interior redesign?
Hailey Worke: Ideally before the furniture layout and finish plan are fully set. If you want new sconces, pendants, recessed lighting, dimmers, motorized shades, or extra outlets, planning for them early means fewer compromises later. A licensed electrician can inspect the existing
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