Performance Fabrics And Its Benefits To Your Decorating
Performance fabric is a textile specifically designed to have enhanced functional qualities and durability compared to traditional fabrics.
There are many benefits to using performance fabrics in decorating. Easy-to-clean, durable, and stain-resistant fabrics are necessary for kids, pets, weather, and a busy schedule. These qualities make them the perfect upholstery in the hardworking areas of a home. Inside and out.
What gives fabric performance and sustainability?
- Fiber content
- Type of construction
- Coloration method
- Finish on the fabric
Performance fabrics have a three-step manufacturing process.
1. Spinning fibers into yarn
2. Constructing yarn threads into the fabric that are non-woven, woven, and knitted
3. Processing and adding a finish; purified and treated
There are pros and cons to both natural and synthetic performance fabrics.
Natural fabrics are biodegradable yet require much water to grow; the process uses additional power to harvest and often uses pesticides.
Synthetic fabrics are exceptionally durable, long-lasting—creating less waste—and can be recycled. But, they are petroleum by-products, non-biodegradable, and produce nitrous oxide that is more harmful to the ozone than CO2.
Solution-dyed acrylics are dyed all the way through and will not wear away. They are the best.
APPLICATIONS
- Indoor / Outdoor
- Furniture upholstery
- Outdoor shading
- Home office
- High-traffic public spaces
- Window coverings
- Bedding
QUALITIES
- Durable
- Abrasion-resistant
- Fade-resistant
- Stain resistant
- UV-stable pigments
- Easy care and clean
- Moisture resistant
- Allergen resistant
- Wide range of colors and patterns
Porto - Domino
Lee Joffa
Angelus - Pacific
Jeffrey Alan Marks
Amazon - Jungle
Clarke & Clarke
MINDFULNESS
According to workplace expert Oliver Heath, design spaces with tactile upholstery and a range of natural surfaces provide occupants with haptic stimulation. This stimulation helps people connect to the present moment and the space they inhabit.
There are many manufacturers and distributors of so-called performance fabrics. You will want to see if the material has a few qualities. Check to see if the threads themselves are treated to be stain and fade-resistant. Whether solution-dyed acrylic or polyester, check that they are treated all through with the color. It makes them more resistant to fading, stains, and wear.
The durability in a performance fabric pulls its weight for seating: bar stools, dining chairs, ottomans, banquettes, and because there are now softer options, sofas.
The best thing about performance fabrics for high-traffic areas is that they are easy to clean. You can clean most spills with dish soap and water. Sunbrella, Crypton, and Inside Out are a few of the preeminent makers of performance fabrics.
So fear not red wine spills, babies, and pets on your upholstery. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a glass of wine, even if you spill it. You have peace of mind from the demands of everyday life. Ahhhhh.