How the Rise of Performance Textiles Is Shaping Designers’ Work
Designer Brynn Olson expands on her recent Design Chicago panel on why performance textiles have become a game changer
Just a few years ago, an ivory sofa was a tough sell for clients with children. In today’s home design landscape, however, advances in performance fabrics are allowing designers like Chicago’s Brynn Olson to incorporate the classic element without worrying homeowners. “Ivory has that crisp, clean factor but it still has a little bit of warmth to it,” says Olson, founder and principal at Brynn Olson Design Group. “It feels fresh and light, especially on a big, honking piece of upholstery.”
Better Quality and More Options
Performance textiles — or specially treated materials that are resistant or repellent to various elements such as wrinkles, spills or environmental conditions — were once largely limited to outdoor furniture. Today, Olson says, these fabrics are available in such a wide variety from traditional performance-fabric makers like Crypton and Sunbrella, as well as other brands just entering the market, that her team uses them in nearly every project.
“There’s no real project that we do now without using a performance fabric, so it’s really become a vital part of our business,” she says. “What that means for us is that it expands beyond just that one family room sofa that our clients are wanting to ensure has longevity and is easy to clean.”
Designers and homeowners can now find performance linens, velvets and other fabrics in a wide range of styles and at a wide range of prices, from budget-friendly to luxury, Olson says. The headboard seen here, for instance, is covered in a performance velvet.
Different fabric types offer different levels of spill, wrinkle or soil protection, depending on a client’s needs. For example, there are versions for the homeowner who doesn’t mind liquids soaking through the fabric but wants a piece that’s easy to clean. At the other end of the spectrum, heavier-duty fabrics that don’t allow anything to permeate them — the type that’s typically backed with a plastic-like lining — can ease the minds of clients with high-traffic areas, Olson says. However, in those cases, designers should keep in mind that there’s still a bit of a trade-off with a high level of protection: a less cushy feel that not all homeowners will like.
Performance is in such demand that Olson says she’s seeing more companies offering treatment services to turn any fabric into a performance fabric after a piece has been made, although fabrics that were designed to be performance remain the more reliable choice.
Read more about performance fabrics
Performance textiles — or specially treated materials that are resistant or repellent to various elements such as wrinkles, spills or environmental conditions — were once largely limited to outdoor furniture. Today, Olson says, these fabrics are available in such a wide variety from traditional performance-fabric makers like Crypton and Sunbrella, as well as other brands just entering the market, that her team uses them in nearly every project.
“There’s no real project that we do now without using a performance fabric, so it’s really become a vital part of our business,” she says. “What that means for us is that it expands beyond just that one family room sofa that our clients are wanting to ensure has longevity and is easy to clean.”
Designers and homeowners can now find performance linens, velvets and other fabrics in a wide range of styles and at a wide range of prices, from budget-friendly to luxury, Olson says. The headboard seen here, for instance, is covered in a performance velvet.
Different fabric types offer different levels of spill, wrinkle or soil protection, depending on a client’s needs. For example, there are versions for the homeowner who doesn’t mind liquids soaking through the fabric but wants a piece that’s easy to clean. At the other end of the spectrum, heavier-duty fabrics that don’t allow anything to permeate them — the type that’s typically backed with a plastic-like lining — can ease the minds of clients with high-traffic areas, Olson says. However, in those cases, designers should keep in mind that there’s still a bit of a trade-off with a high level of protection: a less cushy feel that not all homeowners will like.
Performance is in such demand that Olson says she’s seeing more companies offering treatment services to turn any fabric into a performance fabric after a piece has been made, although fabrics that were designed to be performance remain the more reliable choice.
Read more about performance fabrics
Homeowners Are Seeing the Value
Perhaps because performance fabrics have been known as outdoor materials, clients are often hesitant when Olson and her team suggest using them in an interior design. Once they see and feel samples of the latest fabrics, however, they understand why they might be the right fit, Olson says.
“We will do little sample tests in our office too, so they can see what spilled coffee does, how it blots up and how it’s easily cleaned or in some cases how it doesn’t even soak into the fabric at all, which is always a fun one during meetings,” she says.
Once clients are able to see the materials in action, they appreciate why performance fabrics can serve as a kind of insurance on a big investment, Olson says. And kids or pets aren’t necessary to make that investment worthwhile. A couch, chair or pillow that can stand up to spilled red wine or a clumsy houseguest can be a smart buy for anyone. The white chairs in this photo, for instance, feature Crypton Home performance fabric.
Incorporating these fabrics can even shift the way people use their spaces. “The feedback is always, ‘Oh, I can have this beautiful home and have kids?’ ” Olson says. “We’ve heard, ‘Oh my children now love this area and actually go sit down and do their homework,’ so it’s really been a powerful reaction.”
Perhaps because performance fabrics have been known as outdoor materials, clients are often hesitant when Olson and her team suggest using them in an interior design. Once they see and feel samples of the latest fabrics, however, they understand why they might be the right fit, Olson says.
“We will do little sample tests in our office too, so they can see what spilled coffee does, how it blots up and how it’s easily cleaned or in some cases how it doesn’t even soak into the fabric at all, which is always a fun one during meetings,” she says.
Once clients are able to see the materials in action, they appreciate why performance fabrics can serve as a kind of insurance on a big investment, Olson says. And kids or pets aren’t necessary to make that investment worthwhile. A couch, chair or pillow that can stand up to spilled red wine or a clumsy houseguest can be a smart buy for anyone. The white chairs in this photo, for instance, feature Crypton Home performance fabric.
Incorporating these fabrics can even shift the way people use their spaces. “The feedback is always, ‘Oh, I can have this beautiful home and have kids?’ ” Olson says. “We’ve heard, ‘Oh my children now love this area and actually go sit down and do their homework,’ so it’s really been a powerful reaction.”
New Ways to Use Them
Performance fabrics have come a long way from the back patio. Olson and her fellow Design Chicago panelists said they’re now seeing performance ottomans, throw pillows and trims, among other applications. Olson covered the blue couch seen here in performance velvet.
This year, for the first time, one of Olson’s vendors, Holly Hunt, introduced Olson’s firm to performance rugs that act like outdoor rugs but feature the thick pile of a luxury indoor one. Olson says she sees the trend only continuing to expand into other types of textiles and grow, with more brands introducing trendier prints and colors and details like tape trims, fringe and tassels.
Read more stories about upholstery
Performance fabrics have come a long way from the back patio. Olson and her fellow Design Chicago panelists said they’re now seeing performance ottomans, throw pillows and trims, among other applications. Olson covered the blue couch seen here in performance velvet.
This year, for the first time, one of Olson’s vendors, Holly Hunt, introduced Olson’s firm to performance rugs that act like outdoor rugs but feature the thick pile of a luxury indoor one. Olson says she sees the trend only continuing to expand into other types of textiles and grow, with more brands introducing trendier prints and colors and details like tape trims, fringe and tassels.
Read more stories about upholstery
Less Formal Living Calls for Function
The evolution of performance fabrics reflects the evolution of the way homeowners live, panelists Samatas and DiSanto said at the Design Chicago presentation. Clients want their homes to function, particularly as the way they work and live grows increasingly mobile.
Instead of the pristine formal living rooms of the past, living rooms might now be used for actual living, Olson says, thanks to advances in performance fabrics like the ones shown here on the couch and chairs that can handle sticky hands and muddy paws. Kids are welcome in living rooms now, ivory sofa and all. And they might actually want to hang out there even if the TV is in the family room, Olson says, since iPads and phones often keep them and their friends entertained.
The evolution of performance fabrics reflects the evolution of the way homeowners live, panelists Samatas and DiSanto said at the Design Chicago presentation. Clients want their homes to function, particularly as the way they work and live grows increasingly mobile.
Instead of the pristine formal living rooms of the past, living rooms might now be used for actual living, Olson says, thanks to advances in performance fabrics like the ones shown here on the couch and chairs that can handle sticky hands and muddy paws. Kids are welcome in living rooms now, ivory sofa and all. And they might actually want to hang out there even if the TV is in the family room, Olson says, since iPads and phones often keep them and their friends entertained.
“Our generation, even recently, grew up with the idea of covering furniture in plastic, you can’t go into that room,” Olson says. “Well, that doesn’t exist anymore. No one would ever do that now because there’s stuff like this — textiles out there where you don’t have to be worried.”
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More for Pros on Houzz
5 Trends That Got Pros Excited at Design Chicago
Read more stories for pros Browse millions of photos for inspiration
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
And it wasn’t just Olson’s panel that had pros buzzing about the topic. Two other Design Chicago presentations focused on the rise of performance textiles as well — one examined their evolution in the industry and one examined the science behind them.
Here, Olson follows up with Houzz on how she sees performance textiles evolving and what their growing popularity may mean for the design industry and homeowners alike.