By Christina Winter, Allied Member ASID
This week I wanted to talk about Outdoor design!  Have you ever thought "yeah right"  when you see an outdoor sofa and see the beautiful fabric that is upholstered on the cushions.  How can fabric really hold up when it comes to the sun, dirt, animals, wind, rain, snow, ice....you name it and we have it here.  The truth is the outdoor fabric world really is amazing and the technology that we have is incredible.  Let's start with the well known Sunbrella.  Sunbrella is a household name when you are thinking about what fabric to put on your out door cushions and pillows.  Their website is great for all of the information that you need and this document spoke volumes about Sunbrella and how they are a sustainable company.  http://www.sunbrella.com/en_us/pdf/environmental.pdf  Other helpful things about Sunbrella are:
Sunbrella fabric does not promote mildew growth, however, mildew may grow on dirt and other foreign substances that are not removed from the fabric.
Protect the area around your Sunbrella fabric when using a bleach solution – bleach may discolor non-Sunbrella fabrics. Always rinse Sunbrella thoroughly to completely remove bleach.
Please be aware of the environment when cleaning with bleach. Bleach can have harmful effects on the natural environment around you. We do not advise using bleach if you are surrounded by a body of water or other environment that could be affected.
Sunbrella fabric air-dries very quickly.
Another great furniture and fabric line for the outdoors is Link Outdoor.  This is a fun, upbeat out door line with amazing fabrics and trims that will leave you wondering if you can do them indoors.  The answer...yes of course!  Just because it says outdoor fabrics does not mean it has to be used outdoors.  We love their vibrant, bright colors and their modern lines on their furniture.  Is it summer yet!