Fabrics That Perform for a Florida Coastal Lifestyle

Fabrics that Perform for a Florida Coastal Lifestyle

Furnishing your place takes time, financial investment and personality to make it feel like your own. Your home is the place you want to relax and unwind; the place where you do you. Home should not be the place where you feel you can’t sit on that new sofa, drink wine with friends at your beautiful new dining table or suddenly feel it’s necessary to decide that your once indoor cat is now an outdoor cat.

What exactly is a performance fabric?

Performance fabrics are fabrics designed to withstand heavy use and still maintain their fresh look. This would mean durable, easy to clean fabrics that are stain and fade resistant. You should be able to live life beautifully in a beautifully furnished home. That’s where performance fabric comes in and saves the duvet.

The term “performance fabric” might bring to mind canvas-wrapped outdoor furniture, window awnings or maybe the last time you were on a boat. While all of that outdoor living was the genesis of performance fabric, it’s come a long way and can now be found on plenty of indoor furniture.

Performance fabric’s resistance to staining and fading is engineered into the fiber of the fabric and is not simply a spray-on treatment. This impressive engineering promises to stand up to strong UV light and chemical exposure and still not lose its strength. This also means that most stains can be cleaned up with simple soap and water.

But are they safe?

Does all of this “engineering” come with a threat to the safety of your family or pets? Nope;  all performance fabrics available at Matter Brothers Furniture & Mattress have no PFC chemical, which means they will never have to be retreated and should remain stain resistance for the lifetime of the product.  Some fabrics come with a Greenguard Certification, which means they’ve been safety-tested, are low chemical, low emissions and are not made from any harmful substances.

How does this fit into my life?

Performance fabrics are useful in every room of your home, especially in Florida. With furniture showrooms in Naples, Sarasota, Pinellas Park, Tarpon Springs and Ft. Myers, many of our clients are curating their own take on the coastal lifestyle decor. The style point steers them towards light colored fabrics and it’s important their furniture be able to withstand the weathering of indoor to outdoor living, not afraid of beach sand or sangria.

You’ve probably heard the term “microfiber.” Microfiber and microsuede emulate leather and suede with depth and texture but are far less expensive and far more durable. Both are perfect for padded seating and will remain soft and breathable. Dining tables, sofas and your dog’s favorite chair are a perfect fit for microfiber.

Performance fabrics will also help put you to sleep. Moisture wicking fabric on your mattress keeps you cool and comfortable while you sleep, while still allowing for breathability and airflow. Bedding, comforters, duvets, and shams can be made of microfiber and microsuede. They are both incredibly soft to the touch and are still protected from stains and moisture. Because they are made from 100% polyester, you can launder them at home and not worry about loss of shape or color fade. Don’t forget your headboard! Microfiber and microsuede make a luxurious-looking upholstered headboard without the high price of leather or suede.

What takes the biggest beating in your home? Most likely your rugs. Foot traffic, spills and pets are tough of your rugs. Rugs made from polypropylene are up to the challenge. Because the fabric’s resistance to water, mold and mildew, stains wash out easily and even hold up in the sun! You will find these fabrics more often in rugs that are woven rather than pile rugs. If you prefer the pile rug for inside your home, look for a rug made of polyester or nylon. These rugs will retain their vibrancy and still resist staining and, thankfully, are also easy to care for.

It’s a game changer if you have pets.

Every member of your family can enjoy the durability of performance fabrics, including your pets. Who better to test these oops-proof claims? Many pet beds are made from ultra-soft, high tech fabrics. Microfiber is water resistant, not water-proof. It can withstand thousands of washings and can be found in removable covers to prevent unnecessary wear and tear on your pet’s favorite lounge spot. Small spots can be removed with a damp cloth between washings.

If you feel you need waterproof, there are commercial grade materials offered as well, such as a polyurethane based fabric that feels similar to calfskin leather. It is soft, like glove leather, and contains no vinyl. It is only half as thick as leather, yet is stronger, does not crack and is puncture resistant.

Big names in the performance game.

Crypton is an advanced, environmentally friendly fabric with performance technology that is resistant to stains, odors and comes in an array of textures. Crypton was awarded the Greenguard Gold Certification thanks to its low chemical emissions, making it all the better for the four-legged sector.

Sunbrella, known for its performance in outdoor fabrics since the 1960s, is crossing into the indoor market with soft luxurious fabrics that are easy to care for. Manufactured in ISO certified facilities, you can be confident in their quality and processes.

Prevention by catering to your pets. 

If your pup needs extra fluff to keep her off the sofa, check out beds made from BioMedic Memory Foam. These foam beds are constructed using memory foam that is eco-friendly and American made. BioMedic Memory Foam contains no fillers, and water is used as a blowing agent in the construction process, preventing thousands of pounds of Freon gas from being released into the atmosphere. These beds will retain shape and come with a zippered, removable cover to match your dog’s individual sense of style.

If your pet feels that the world is his chew toy, a bed made of Cordura nylon fabric might be a wise choice to save your new arm chair. Cordura material is a versatile nylon fabric with more strength and has a natural spun-like appearance. It provides resistance to fading, abrasion, rot and mildew. Most importantly: teeth on a mission. While no fabric can claim to be chew-proof, Cordura may put up the best fight. 

Oh and your cat, the one that thinks your sofa is a scratching post, buy him a few small scratching posts and scatter them around the house.

Worth the thought.

There is a lot to consider when purchasing items for your home. With life expectancy of new furniture being around five to nine years in most households, you’ll want to put thought into how things are made and what they are made of.  A lot of dining, lounging, parties, pets and visitors can happen in nine years, which means lots of dropped food, drinks, footprints and living.

 You choose your furniture and items in your home because you think they’re beautiful. With performance fabrics, you do not have to choose form over function, or even function formally. When you choose items made with performance fabrics, you can sit back, relax and enjoy your life, spills and all.

Interested in making home a spill-proof space? Drop by at one of our five convenient locations or contact us and we would be delighted to show you how Matter Brothers Furniture can help.