Have you heard that wool is the word?
Hard wearing, natural, insulating and breathable. Wool has been one of the top materials of choice for upholstery and clothing since the middle ages and for good reasons that still apply to us to this day. Here in Canada we love wool fabric for it's coziness and warmth but it's important to note that wool is also ideal for breathability and moisture regulating during the warmer months as well!
At this particular time in history the natural antimicrobial properties of wool and it's low environmental footprint are especially important to us for our health and happiness. We need to consider the impact the materials we use in manufacturing have on the world around us and since wool is 100% natural and free of petroleum products it is a great place to start. The companies such as Kvadrat and Camira that supply our brands with fabric are also deeply concerned with their environmental impact and adhere to strict practices to keep their manufacturing process clean and reduce any waste by re-purposing leftover wool fibres from the spinning process into new "re-wool" fabrics. Both Kvadrat and Camira comply with ISO 14001 and several other environmental legislations and certifications (you can find full lists of their certifications and policies on their websites).
So come see and feel for yourself, our Edmonton and Calgary showrooms have many pieces upholstered in wool materials on display and also full sample sets of the colors and textures available on each piece. We are happy to assist you with selecting the perfect texture and color for your unique space and needs and filling you in on these and all other benefits of using wool for your next project!
Pictured above is the Swell sofa from Normann Copenhagen upholstered in their felted wool of choice, Synergy by Camira (this fabric is also offered by Softline for their furniture and offers more than 30 colors to choose from).
Of course there are many more materials that utilize the wonderful natural properties of wool with thick or fine woven textures and patterns if the felted look isn't right for you.
Raw wool fleece sheared from the sheep needs to be sorted, cleaned and scoured before it can be carded, spun, woven and finally dyed into the beautifully finished fabrics we know and love. It's quite a technical process that became almost fully mechanized by 1890 (although wool rugs are still widely handwoven all over the world to keep the traditional craft alive and obtain an uneven, unique texture which would be mostly unsuitable for upholstery). Wool can also be blended with different man made fibres to achieve different textures and finishes.
Felted wool has roughly 20-30% stretch to each fibre so it is ideal for hugging the rounded shapes of furniture pieces such as the Ottoman collection from Ligne Roset pictured above. The smooth texture of the felt accentuates the stitching details and lets the shape of the piece shine.
Divina MD felted 100% wool by Kvadrat is our top selling fabric and is available for upholstery on most Ligne Roset furniture as well as certain colors for Montis, Softline, Lapalma, Arper and more! (Ask your sales rep for more information on which products can be upholstered in Divina wool).
One great detail of Divina MD fabric in particular is that it is a melange of 3 colors of fibre woven together so there is plenty of dimension and variation within the material.
