Fabric Tips #12: Rolling a velvet
Posted: 14 February, 2011 Filed under: Contract Fabric, Curtain Fabric, Domestic Fabric, Fabric Design, Production & Details, Fabric Tips, interior design, interior designer, Upholstery, Upholstery Fabric | Tags: contract fabric, contract fabrics, curtain fabric, domestic fabric, domestic fabrics, fabric, Fabric Tips, fabrics, interior design, linen velvet, mohair velvet, mohair velvets, silk, silk velvets, Textile, textured upholstery fabric, Upholstery, upholstery fabric, velvet 4 Comments »
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You’ve just ordered a new velvet and unrolled it to admire your purchase. But how do you re-roll it?
When you roll almost any fabric you should have the face on the inside. With a velvet this is the pile so you have the pile on the inside.
Some, but not all, velvet piles stand straight up others will ‘lay down’. for the former it does not matter which way you then roll the fabric (provided the pile is on the inside). However for typically longer pile which lays down (ie you can brush it flat with your hand in one direction only) then you should roll the fabric down the pile as you return it to its roll.
Hopefully that made sense. Good luck.
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Raffia Wallcovering
Posted: 7 February, 2011 Filed under: Contract Fabric, Environmental, interior design, Panelling & Wallcovering, Upholstery, Upholstery Fabric | Tags: interior design, raffia, textured upholstery fabric, upholstery fabric, upholstery linen, upholstry fabric Leave a comment »
Raffia adds texture as a wallcovering. As a natural product it has many benefits for the interior designer including a degree of thermal insulation and the ability to be adhered directly to wall surfaces or fastened to wall surfaces or ceiling when wrapped around wooden panels.
With Wyzenbeek rubs of 40,000 KOTHEA’s 2011 Raffia (Raphia) are also eminently suitable for a wide range of upholstery uses.
Raffias can usually be fire treated to meet a wide range of contract requirements including hotels and marine installations.
This type of raffia weave has been used for thousands of years perhaps most famously as Japanese Tatami mats. They are of course one of today’s modern day design staples for a clean, modern look.
Links:
- What is Raffia? (brainz.org)
- Upholstery Linen – Sourcing Luxury Linen in the UK (kothea.com)
- Home improvements: How to insulate a bungalow (telegraph.co.uk)
- Mohair Velvet & Other Velvets (kothea.com)
Mohair Velvet & Other Velvets
Posted: 6 February, 2011 Filed under: Contract Fabric, Domestic Fabric, Fabric Design, Production & Details, interior design, interiordesign, interiors, modern interiors, Product Comments, Upholstery Fabric | Tags: mohair velvet, mohair velvets, silk velvet, silk velvets, upholstery fabric, upholstery linen, velvet, velvet upholstery, velvets 5 Comments »
Mohair Velvet is a type of fabric made from Mohair Wool. It is usually used for upholstery. A velvet is a fabric that is made in a certain way usually ending up with a pile; importantly it can be made from many different fibres including mixtures of fibres.
Mohair Velvet – A velvet made from natural Mohair Wool. Typically durable with high Martindale rub test results. Natural fibres give a degree of inherent fire retardancy.
Cotton velvet – A velvet made from natural cotton
Linen Velvet – a velvet made from natural linen typically an excellent domestic upholstery velvet.
Silk Velvet – Potentially beautiful and amazing velvet fabric made from silk but a high degree of quality variation across manufacturers.
CS Trevira – Made from synthetic Trevira. Excellent contract velvet.
Cashmere Silk Velvet – Extremely high quality luxury fabric. Mix of two natural fibres ie Cashmere Wool and Silk. Combines beauty with durability.
Vicuna Silk Velvet – Extremely high quality and rare luxury fabric. Rarely available as an interiors fabric.
Cotton & Silk Velvet – A less expensive way to strengthen the beauty of the silk with the strength of cotton. Cotton being cheaper than Cashmere wool for example!
Note also that a velvet is made with a back cloth material. It is not unusual for an extremely fine top market velvet to have a 100% cotton back cloth.
Related Articles
- What is Velvet? (brainz.org)
- Got A Crush On Velvet? (kothea.com)
- Contract Upholstery Fabric – How to Specify It (kothea.com)
- Holiday Trend: Crushed Velvet (beso.com)
- New Fabric Trends Update Your Decor (chicagonow.com)
- Upholstery Linen – Sourcing Luxury Linen in the UK (kothea.com)
Upholstery Linen – Sourcing Luxury Upholstery Linen in the UK
Posted: 17 January, 2011 Filed under: Contract Fabric, Domestic Fabric, interior design, interior designer, interiordesign, Upholstery, Upholstery Fabric | Tags: Business, domestic fabric, domestic fabrics, fabric, faux leather upholstery, ideas for designers, interior design, linen, natural linen, natural linens, Textile, Textiles and Nonwovens, Upholstery, Upholstery and Furnishing, upholstery fabric, upholstery linen, upholstry fabric 5 Comments »
Upholstery Linen
Upholstery Linen is notoriously difficult for interior designers to source. Sourcing linens for curtains is easy enough but often linens are not woven with sufficient strength to score Martindale results that are high enough to warrant using the fabric for upholstery.
Some suppliers can be a little evasive and will quote the weight of the linen as a measure of the linen’s quality. The implicaiton being that the higher the weight the better suited the fabric will be for upholstery. There is some thuth in that implication but you cannot say for certain that a high weight linen is inherently suitable for upholstery. Get the Martindale!
Most KOTHEA luxury upholstery linens have inherent Martindale rub tests of around 20,000 rubs with one range further strengthened to 85,000 rubs for contract usage – 20,000 Martindale being eminently suitable for domestic upholstery.
Furthermore when buying upholstery- (or curtain-) linen you need to know whether or not it will shrink when washed. Linen ALWAYS shrinks. So what you have to find out is whether or not it has been pre-shrunk before you buy it. A common way of pre-shrinking linen is through the sanforisation process.
Click To Read More Interior Design Articles
Here are the details of our new 2011 upholstery linens that are named Recline, Relax and Restful. We have many others, these are just the new ones:
Name: Recline
Usage: Luxury Contract Upholstery
Colourways: 24
Width: 135cm
Comp: 54% Li 35% Co 11% Pa
Weight: >350g/m2
Notes: Martindale >85,000
Name: Relax
Usage: Luxury Domestic Upholstery
Colourways: 24
Width: 135cm
Comp: 100% Li
Weight: >265 g/m2
Notes: Martindale >15,000
Name: Restful
Usage: Heavyweight Luxury Domestic Upholstery
Colourways: 4
Width: 135cm
Comp: 100% Li
Weight: >470 g/m2
Notes: Martindale >45,000
Related articles
- A Chat With Verity du Sautoy, Interviewed With KOTHEA (kothea.com)
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Contract Upholstery Fabric – How to Specify It
Posted: 9 January, 2011 Filed under: Contract Fabric, Environmental, Fabric Tips, interior design, interior designer, interiordesign, interiors, Panelling & Wallcovering, Upholstery, Upholstery Fabric | Tags: contract fabric, contract fabrics, domestic fabric, textured upholstery fabric, upholstery fabric, upholstry fabric 2 Comments »Here is a VERY quick guide to specifying contract fabrics. Contract Fabrics 101 if you like. It shows you the main areas you need to consider.
1. Determine Use
Is it panelling or seating? for the latter you will need to consider flammability (cigarette, match and crib 5) and abrasion (Martindale)
2. Fabric Composition
The composition of the fabric including the yarn and weave will affect the fabric’s long term wear, appearance and technical performance.
Natural fabrics such as wool can be more expensive but generally offer good feel and technical characteristics such as natural flame retardancy.
Man-made fabrics usually are more easily cared for but can look cheap if not properly chosen.
3. Flammability
The single standard for contract seating which is acceptable throughout the EU is EN 1021 Parts 1 and 2 (cigarette and match). Higher level standards in the UK are BS 5852 and BS 7176.
The standard which applies to vertical surface fabrics is BS 476 Part 7.
4. Abrasion
You should be looking at the Martindale properties of the fabric. <Here> is more information on the Martindale rub test.
5. Environmental Considerations
Generally natural fibres like wool are good. And man-made ones less so, NYLON is not great.
6. Care and maintenance
Generally contract fabrics will look bad because of dirt rather than because they wear out. So follow the manufacturers instructions on care and maintenance. Basically wipe away stains quickly and vacuum clean regularly.
Black Velvet – Even Better Italian Silk Velvet In Black
Posted: 22 September, 2010 Filed under: Domestic Fabric, home decor, interior, interior design, interior designer, interiordesign, interiors, modern homes, modern interiors, Upholstery, Upholstery Fabric | Tags: contemporary fabric, domestic fabric, domestic fabrics, mohair velvet, mohair velvets, silk velvet, silk velvets, textured upholstery fabric, upholstery fabric, upholstry fabric, velvet, velvet upholstery, velvets 4 Comments »
Black Velvet – only to be enjoyed by those who appreciate that black is the new black! KOTHEA have a range of velvets with shades of black colourways in most of those velvet collections.
“Black Diamond” is the colourway name for the Italian Silk Velvet (100% Silk Pile) with the code 777-108-900.
You can get black silk velvet samples here from KOTHEA if you are a trade professional. Just click the link.
KOTHEA velvets are the best in the market. We only sell top market fabrics, mostly to top European Interior Designers and Architects. Here are some more bits of technical information on our black Italian Silk velvet fabric:
Width: 140cm
Composition: 100% Silk Pile
No repeat, plain.
Abrasion: Martindale 20,000.
Available from stock, normal delivery within 5 days.
Minimum Order length: 2m
Moleskin Upholstery Fabric
Posted: 13 August, 2010 Filed under: Domestic Fabric, home decor, interiordesign, interiors, modern homes, modern interiors, Upholstery | Tags: domestic fabric, domestic fabrics, ideas for designers, interior design, natural fabrics, upholstery fabric, upholstry fabric 1 Comment »
Moleskin Fabric is an unusual fabric for upholstery, usually associated with clothing. KOTHEA moleskin is a premium moleskin specifically designed for upholstery with Martindale Rubs between 20,000 and 30,000. Moleskin is often a blend of cotton and linen; however KOTHEA‘s 100% cotton moleskin is extremely tightly woven ensuring that a luxurious look and feel is guaranteed. The overall look is similar to suede yet more exclusive and durable.
The Cigarette & Match Tests BS 5852
Posted: 21 July, 2010 Filed under: Domestic Fabric, Upholstery, Upholstery Fabric | Tags: domestic fabric, domestic fabrics, upholstery fabric, upholstry fabric 1 Comment »
The Cigarette & Match Tests BS 5852 are fire retardancy tests for residential upholstery. This document is intended to be read by interior designers and as such you do not need to understand the details of the tests. Interior designers must, however, ensure that they comply with the associated British Standards by ensuring that the fabrics they specify are fit for that purpose.
You can download this document by clicking on the pdf icon.
- If you are sourcing furniture for your client then the vendor of the furniture needs to provide you with appropriate information to prove compliance.
- If you are specifying fabric for furniture to be made up, then you need to ask the fabric supplier for the fabric’s compliance to the standards and/or arrange fire treatment.
- You will need to ensure that you have specified the appropriate fabrics for the visible and non-visible parts of the furniture.
- You will need to liaise with your upholsterer to ensure that any additional materials such as foam and fabric lining are adequate.
The cigarette and match tests fall under BS 5852. The test(s) involve the fabric being exposed to different ‘ignition sources’ essentially simulating possible real life causes of domestic fires. The ‘ignition sources’ are ways that the fabric could plausibly be burnt. There are 8 different sources/types of combustion but you only normally need to deal with sources 0, 1 and 5.
Source 0 = Cigarette (smouldering cigarette)
Source 1 = Match (simulated match)
Source 5 = Crib. (Wooden crib or Crib 5)
Source 5, or Crib 5 as it is frequently know as, is usually a contract standard for upholstery. In contract upholstery you might also come across BS 7176 which determines specific risk or hazard areas that your fabric is being installed into. In simple terms, BS 7176 covers all 3 of the above tests. Furthermore, whilst Crib 5 is the highest standard of the 3 tests it does not follow that a fabric which passes Crib 5 will also pass the cigarette and match test – even though it is likely to.
Exceptions, Mandates & Exemptions
- Fabric is exempted if it is 75% by weight of cotton, silk, viscose, wool i.e. 75% natural fibres. A FR inter-liner must also be used to keep the exemption.
- Furniture MUST IN ALL CASES pass the cigarette test. No exceptions.
- Cigarette Test will be undertaken using standard foam – this presents a worst-case scenario.
- For fabrics that do not inherently pass the required test then treatments are usually available, often where the back side of the fabric is coated with a fire resistant substance not affecting the look and feel of the fabric
- For already made-up furniture, we doubt that it is possible to treat it retrospectively to pass the tests. However it may be possible to prove that the fabrics that have already been used are in fact compliant.
Martindale Rub Test – Updated Information
Posted: 13 July, 2010 Filed under: Upholstery, Upholstery Fabric | Tags: contract fabric, contract fabrics, textured upholstery fabric, upholstery fabric, upholstry fabric Leave a comment »Martindale Rub Test Information for upholstery has been updated in one downloadable pdf document. I have put together a few posts I have made into this one file.
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A Chat With Verity du Sautoy – Her Thoughts On Winter Fabrics
Posted: 7 February, 2012 | Author: Nathalie Arrigone | Filed under: Companies, Press Releases, Upholstery, Contract Fabric, Domestic Fabric, Upholstery Fabric, interior design, interior designer, home decor, interiors, interior, contemporary interiors, interiordesign | Tags: cashmere throw, Cashmere wool, contemporary fabric, contract fabric, contract fabrics, cushion fabric, domestic fabric, domestic fabrics, fabric, faux leather upholstery, ideas for designers, interior design, KOTHEA, luxury cashmere throw, luxury fabric, mohair velvet, mohair velvets, natural fabric, silk velvet, Textile, textured upholstery fabric, upholstery fabric, upholstery linen, upholstry fabric, velvet, velvets | Leave a comment »Truly beautiful Cashmere Silk Velvet by KOTHEA
KOTHEA Fabric Picks For A Chilly Winter’s Day
With Verity du Sautoy of KOTHEA.
We love the seasons. All have their beauties and all have touched our senses in memorable ways over the years. Winter is no exception: lower, more balanced light; quietness and chaos with both the shopping and the weather; festive celebrations; the cuddle of a loved one; the hope and expectation of early spring flowers grasping for rare and tiny glimmers of light; and, perhaps, the welcomed warmth of a beautiful fabric.
Some of my best memories are centred on family: a warm fire; a little baby; or a bouncing toddler. Then an old children’s classic on the iPlayer watched on my Mac as it balances precariously on an elegant coffee table. I stroke my children’s hair with one hand and rest my other hand on my sofa. A generous cushion is warm, encapsulating and a bit of fun for the little ones to hide under. The curtains are not yet fully drawn but they smooth the boundary to the cold outside and give us tantalising glimpses of the world beyond – should we venture too close to the sheers that offer the final, soft protection from the elements.
Dominika B Tana Lawn
I work for a fabric company. I love fabric. I can’t pretend that it (fabric) is a be-all and end-all to life and that somehow it will make your life complete. It can’t. But what it clearly can do is complete the sensory experiences in the parts of life that, if you choose, you have control over…the parts of your home. Memories are not just photo-like snapshots in your brain; they are stored, multi-sensory splashes of emotion.
Here are my Winter picks. They are actual ‘picks’ that I’ve recently purchased or are about to purchase.
Take my sofa as an example. My sofa isn’t Read the rest of this entry »
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