We’ve spent a lot more time at home in the past year and our change in lifestyle is having an impact on consumer trends. With all this time at home, we’ve realized how rewarding it is to create a comfortable space. Gardening is now a national pastime, some of us have painted – and repainted – our home offices and, when it comes to furniture, we have a new understanding of comfort and versatility.
One of the biggest trends, according to Laura Day Koons here at Today’s Home Interiors, is the popularity of performance fabrics. Designed to be extra durable and easy to clean, performance fabrics are perfect for people with messy kids or pets. Or husbands.
Here are five reasons you should check out performance fabrics when you’re shopping for a new sofa or chair:
- They’re durable
Most of us think of athletic wear when we hear performance fabric. Whether it’s running gear or a favorite pair of yoga pants, we’ve come to appreciate those high-tech fabric blends that are somehow tough and flexible, but still soft and comfortable.
Those same fabric technologies are now being incorporated into furniture fabrics, where they offer the same extreme durability and flexibility – perfect for furniture that sees a little roughhousing!
- They’re easy to clean
Performance fabrics are made from advanced synthetic fibers, so they’re great at resisting stains. The materials don’t absorb liquids the way traditional fabrics do, so if there’s a spill, you can literally just wipe them clean.
“This is probably the number one reason people buy furniture upholstered in performance fabrics,” notes Laura. “A good piece of furniture can last a long time, and easy-to-clean upholstery means it will stay looking fresh for years to come.”
- They’re better for the environment
Unlike traditional upholstery fabrics, performance fabric manufacturing uses far less water, requires no land for production and generally results in less chemical pollution.
With many makers now incorporating higher percentages of recycled materials, the environmental footprint continues to shrink.
- They can be healthier
Many performance fabrics are created to have antimicrobial properties. That means they resist the spread of bacteria and are extremely hostile to molds and mildew.
Laura and the team have noticed this is another feature that has migrated from athletic wear sharing, “Features like moisture wicking and resistance to bacteria make just as much sense in a home environment as they do in the gym.”
- They’re more stylish than ever
Not so long ago, the place you’d most expect to see performance fabrics was on outdoor furniture. The previous generation of performance fabric was great at resisting moisture and mildew, but it wasn’t exactly the sort of thing you wanted to curl up on for nap.
Today’s performance upholstery on the other hand, isn’t just soft, it’s available in all sorts of textures, from cozy velvet styles to cool linen-like weaves.
Browse online or head over to our beautifully designed showroom to find out more about this exciting new trend.
