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DESIGN SOLUTIONS
High-performance
Fabrics
Welcome the advantages of these fabrics indoors to meet your active
clients' lifestyles.
by Sharon L. Anderson
CHALLENGE:
A demanding client, a large family, an active lifestyle, a dual-purpose
family room, a client with numerous pets . . . these are just to
name a few of the challenges I’ve had to face in the past four
months. I am employed with an architectural firm and design both
residential and commercial spaces. I am currently working on three
large residences in a suburban neighborhood. Could you please offer
some fabric solutions to the above-mentioned demands of my typical
clients?
SOLUTION: The fabrics that you
require to meet your clients’ many needs are finally here,
and you will be very impressed with the outcome. Consumers today
are savvy and know what they want. “High performance”
is located at or near the top of their lists of product demands.
High performance also is the key to today’s fabrics, which
are bound to impress your customers. Technology has played a vital
role in developing these new fabrics that are so user friendly!
The manufacturing and treatment process for fabrics has lead to
the development of new products such as Crypton®, a fabric that
will repel stain and moisture. The line of Crypton fabrics comes
in a variety of fiber options and the visual effect is impressive!
They offer many different styles and textures to choose from, which
makes it easy for the client to make decisions and not be limited
to certain colors. The fabric is treated with Microban, a substance
that assists in blocking bacteria growth, mold and mildew!
Another fabric line, Sunbrella®, offers acrylic fabrics that
not only are beautiful, they perform wonderfully. These high-performance
fabrics offer many advantages that will complement the lifestyle
of today’s consumers. The fabrics offer outstanding durability,
colorfastness and ease of cleaning—and with up-to-date colors
and styles, they work wonderfully indoors and fit with most décors.
Originally, the advantages of high-performance fabrics have been
incorporated into outside furnishings such as patio furniture, umbrellas
and hammocks. Let’s not forget the durability of those exterior
fabrics that have appeared for years as automotive convertible tops
and materials for boat and recreational vehicle covers. Now, these
high-performance fabrics have been reborn and redesigned for today’s
consumers.
We, as designers, architects, specifiers, interior specialists and
retail salespeople, now can design our interiors with ease as we
step into the future of performance fabrics.
 Sharon
L. Anderson has more than 20 years experience in the residential
and commercial areas of interior design. She is currently a faculty
member at two Southern California colleges. Anderson has been featured
in numerous books and publications. |
