Comments for Green Upholstery Fabrics at http://www.daylelaing.com , comment 1 to 3 out of 3 comments http://www.daylelaing.com Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:07:48 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.daylelaing.com/news/green-upholstery-fabrics.html#comment-38 Dayle, I know it's been a while since your session at Brentwood Classics that I attended, but I just wanted to say that I really appreciated your advice. It was great to receive encouragement from fellow designers. At present I am decorating for a client with 5 dogs and a cat! I just remembered today that you had said that you used microfibre covered cushions for a window seat for your dogs. My client wants 3 different window seats in velvet but I will suggest the microfibre for durability and maintenance. Do you have any ideas on sofa fabrics? I was thinking that slip-covered leather sofas would be good but am not sure if the leather would be too slippery with slip covers. Thanks again for all the great info on green design, and your kitchen is great. Colleen Cann Colleen, Thanks for your question and comments! You are quite right that leather would be potentially slippery. For slipcovers, it would be likely too stiff, not washable, and could scratch with animal claws. Also, the underside of the cushion needs to be in fabric so the cushion does not fall off the sofa and for breathability reasons. I like the polyester microfibre for dogs on furniture. There are several different kinds on the market. Look for a moderate weight and an abrasion count of around 40,000 double rubs. The fabrics with the highest rub count may be very durable, but too stiff for slipcovering. The fabrics with the much lower rub count may wear out too quickly and not wash as well. The supplier may not say the fabric is washable on the label. To be really practical, it must be able to be washed. To test, take a small piece, say, 25cm x 25cm and wash on delicate cycle in cold water and see if it shrinks or the colour bleeds. In my experience, the microfibre I used did fade a bit, but not noticeably, and it did wash very well. I would also be very clear with the client and put it in writing that there will not be a guarantee on the performance when washed, but that this is probably the best solution for the circumstances of heavy use by many animals! Good luck with this Colleen, Dayle - Colleen Cann Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:27:27 +0100 http://www.daylelaing.com/news/green-upholstery-fabrics.html#comment-31 Hello Dayle, Just wanted to say thank you for the seminar on Green Upholstery Fabrics that you recently presented at Brentwood Classics. It was well-researched, informative and relevant to all of us in the design field. I'm confident that sharing this knowledge with our clients will have a positive impact on our planet. Kudos for a great job and I look forward to hearing you speak again. Kind regards, Vanessa Francis Vanessa Francis Design Thank you Vanessa for the kind words. I look forward to seeing you at a future seminar! Dayle - Vanessa Francis Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:50:44 +0100 http://www.daylelaing.com/news/green-upholstery-fabrics.html#comment-28 I would truly return for another seminar with regards to "what's new in green". Thanks for your great advice and wonderful presentation. Gloria :D You are welcome, Gloria. Dayle - Gloria Franchi Thu, 28 May 2009 10:38:40 +0100