Design as a general rule should always be practical but especially so in Coastal locations. The weather conditions in coastal areas can test even the strongest of materials. One simply has to look at the implications of salt air on cars and intense sun on fabrics. There is a beacon of hope on the horizon when it comes to indoor upholstery and that is Solution Dyed Acrylic.
Solution Dyed Acrylics (SDA) are strongly fade and stain resistant. It can be sponge cleaned with soap and water and the occasional stubborn stain can be cleaned with bleach. This is possible because SDA are not DYED in the typical manner we normally associate with fabrics. The color is mixed in as high UV resistant pigments even before it becomes a fiber. It is then cut, baled, blended and spun into yarn and then into fabric. Traditionally SDA materials have been associated with outdoor furniture, awnings and if one is so lucky, yacht upholstery. Yacht or no yacht, the increasing use in interior settings has raised the bar for practical, bright performance interiors.
There are many great applications for SDA but one of the strongest is the use in the coastal seasonal rental market. Many who are in the renal market know all too well how hard their renters are on all upholstery. SDA take so much of that worry away. The simple knowledge that stains are not the end of a chair or even worse a sofa or loveseat can relive much of the stress associated with renting. Rubber or bulletproof furniture would help too but for now, having furniture made with SDA is the best solution for durable, attractive and long-lasting furniture for your rental properties.
The use in full time coastal residences has seen exponential growth. Consider that much of the new construction, even with the use of high UV protective glass windows have large areas of view enhancing and light filled spaces. All of that light can still challenge fabrics to perform at their best. The wide assortment of patterns and colors available to clients in Solution Dyed Acrylics are a great tool in coastal designs. They provide the designer with a fantastic selling tool to promote carefree yet beautiful design and the client with a knowledge that their end product will last the test of time, suntan lotion, wine and most of the things that coastal living throws our way.
TK Novikoff, Design Consultant
Creative Concepts