Until recently the finest linen was made exclusively in Western Europe. Whilst many of those producers still exist, much production has been shifted to the Far East. At KOTHEA, we endeavour to use European linen partly for sentimental reasons as we love the fabrics our mills have continued to deliver to us but also becuase the enviornmental impact of them is good and the quality fantastic.
Many of our natural linens are hydrogen peroxide bleached which is less environmentally damaging than the traditional use of the stronger chlorine-based bleach. Then, when colour is required, we typically only use dyes from natural materials.
Linen
Elegant, beautiful, durable, this luxury fabric is the strongest of the vegetable fibres and has 2 to 3 times the strength of cotton. It is smooth, making the finished fabric lint free and ensures that it only gets softer and finer the more it is washed. Linen comes from flax, a bast fibre taken from the stalk of the plant. The lustre is from the natural wax content, with it’s colour ranging from creamy white to light tan. Linen does wrinkle but also presses easily when damp. Linen, like cotton, can also be boiled without damaging the fibre.
The decrease in use of linen may be attributed to the industrialisation of cotton production (a cheaper fibre), the increasing quality of synthetic fibers, and a decreasing appreciation of buyers for very high quality yarn and fabric. Very little top quality linen is produced now, and most is used in low volume applications like hand weaving, as an art material, or table and bed linens.
Although the actual growing of linen is free of the extensive spraying and use of pesticides used on cotton, it is the production process that can be environmentally damaging – the extensive water consumption and the chemicals and mordants used in the dying process. Our Eco linen is of the highest grade, is hand loomed in Latvia and is undyed. It is bleached using low impact hydrogen peroxide rather than chlorine. See also Dye and Bleach, above, for further details.
Your beautiful cotton shirt or luxurious cotton curtains may hide an environmental time bomb.
Unfortunately for us in the interior design industry many fabrics are imported from exotic locations all over the world. Sometimes this can be by air freight which is one of the largest contributions to global carbon emissions – perhaps in excess of 600 million tonnes per year.
Hotels, Yachts and many public places have strict requirements for fabrics both for fire retardancy and wear, usually measured in the UK by an abrasion test (commonly referred to as Martindale or ‘rub test’). Some of KOTHEA’s Mohair Velvets are highly suitable in such environments with a certified Martindale of 100,000 – which is more than the usual contract requirement of between 20,000 – 30,000.
I was looking back to when we started this blog. It was a time of change and many of us in the interior design industry were concerned about the future. Whilst things obviously did go ‘a bit pear-shaped’, many of us are still here. With economic storm clouds gathering again maybe we start to worry again but at the same time maybe it’s some consolation that we survived before and so shall we again.![leave-room-825316_640[1]](https://www.kothea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/leave-room-825316_6401.jpg)
Just about every interior presents its own set of challenges when it comes time to decorate, but this doesn’t mean you should have to compromise your sense of style. Rather, a little creative problem-solving might be in order! No matter what kind of budget you have available or what type of living space you’re working with, you can always get the look you’re after by making the right choices and shopping with a bit of savvy. Even your condo can look like an urban loft, if you play your cards right! We’ll talk about a few decoration and design tips that will help you inject some truly modern, “urban” sensibilities into just about any condo or apartment.![stainless-steel-cube-by-gus-modern-5__75419.1416611552.1280.1280[1]](https://www.kothea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/stainless-steel-cube-by-gus-modern-5__75419-1416611552-1280-12801.jpg?w=300)
Another great way to communicate an urban aesthetic is by picking out pieces that were made with, or heavily feature, industrial materials. The combination of mid-century or modern design sensibilities with industrial elements is a great way to give your home urban flavor. Industrial steel cubes are a great example of modern simplicity that can play a versatile part in your home’s decor. Like most great furniture, cubes are modular, which is another way to get a great urban feel when you’re decorating your condo or apartment. Focus on pieces that will give you a variety of use so you can truly open up your home.