Off-White Textured Upholstery on Contemporary Seating
Modern-day interior designers should know that there are a few neat tricks you can do on your website AND blog to make YOU stand out more in Google when your clients search for you or the things you create.
I’m going to take you through two DIFFERENT but related changes to your blog/website.
Company Brand
When you search for a brand or a rock star or something famous(ish) then you sometimes will see some interesting bits of information appear on the right hand side of the Google search results…the place where the ads normally can be found. Try this search for Barack Obama to see what I mean. This interesting information might come from a Wikipedia entry about a rock stars career or it might tell you that company’s local contact information and maybe some images of their work or some customer reviews of their services.
If you can get a Wikipedia entry about your ‘notable’ business then you will have this problem solved. Tell me how you did it as it is notoriously difficult. (Hint: Don’t try).
You only sometimes see that information because the brand owner has only sometimes told Google what to put there. You can assume that Coca Cola have done this and this search for Coca Cola shows you. You’ll notice it is slightly different to the Obama-Wikipedia one, perhaps your version shows a local stockist?
Well; you are a brand owner of your interior design business. Have you told Google?
Here’s How
You need to potentially do quite a few things here. You (or your techie person) are going to be getting involved in HTML code using rel=’publisher’ and you are going to need to create a Google+ page for your business. If that hasn’t put you off let’s continue.
Firstly you need to create a Google+ account for YOU.
1. If your business has the website BlahDesign.com then you need to have a personal email such as Nathalie.Arrigone@BlahDesign.com (Nathalie@yahoo.com will not work). With that email address go and create a Google+ account for you ie Nathalie Arrigone. It is possible to create a login based on Nathalie.Arrigone@BlahDesign.com if you look closely.
Do not use the wrong name eg Nat Arrigone or Nathalie A. It will not work.
Do not try and put a funny picture there. It will not work
You need a passport standard photo. Otherwise it will not work.
Do not put a picture of your company or product. It will not work
Got the message?
You could of course create a totally fictitious persona based on a photo of your dearly departed aunty. Which would be a bit creepy 🙂
Almost there! Well the first part, at least.
2. While you are on your new Google+ page the only thing you NEED to do is to check that you are listed as a contributor to your website AND to your blog. Go to “About/Links” and add that information.
4. Now choose your profile and then PAGES. Create a the appropriate page for your business. Ideally Local Business or Organisation
Add your real-world website AND verify it eg www.BlahDesign.com AND https://blog.BlahDesign.com
Add all the appropriate email addresses eg info@BlahDesign.com and verify them ALL including yours if you have not already done so..
5. Finally ! You have to now put a link on your website to your new Google+ PAGE – replace 1111111111111 with the number of your Google+ page. Do it on your home page and also for the home page of your blog.
Please do not try to link this to your personal page. It will sort of work. For a while. You have been warned!
6. You can now test your new Google+ Company Page is working with the Google Structured Data Testing Tool. Just look for the section further down the page concerning the PUBLISHER information. It’s just that bit that should be nice and green coloured.
So that should be “all” you need to do for the company branding. You can play around some more with the Google+ Business Page and you can add map, product, address and other information which will also get shown by Google in various places.
2. Personal Branding – You as a creator of content. AUTHOR Boost
If you create truly meaningful content then you should go forwards with this option. This particular post that I am writing now would count as meaningful, original content. If you put up a blog post with the line “Here is a picture of a chair I like” – then that is not meaningful content. The content needs lots of originalstuff (pictures and/or words and/or video).
Personal branding will mean that sometimes Google will very kindly put your Google+ image (from earlier) next to your content when it appears in their search results. Not always. Sometimes. When they choose. You can’t control it (and from 2015 onwards Google have decided to display it much less as it attracted people away from clicking on their ads !!)
You add this line to EVERY post your write and/or every page of your web site. You change the 4444444444 with your personal Google+ Account (not your company page. The company page will not work. Don’t do it. Honest).
Here are a great selection of London based upholstery companies. Some of them are relatively small and other are very considerable and long-established companies. They are not necessarily at the upper end of the market, nor the bottom. I guess I could more easily say here is a range of upholstery and re-upholstery companies in London ! Enjoy, in no particular order.
Barnes Upholstery – 020 8255 9797 info@barnesupholstery.co.uk/ Sofa And Chair Co – 020 8752 8938 info@thesofaandchair.co.uk
Business-Related Interior Design Articles
Whilst we have dealt with some of these companies as clients this post is not intended as a specific recommendation, or otherwise, of any of them.
Most interior designers these days use social media. They might not use it effectively but they do use it. They might be using the wrong social media…but, yes, most still use it.
You: So, how do I best choose social media to ‘reach out’ (well that means “sell”, I guess) to my target markets?
Me: Well, silly, you use the same social media that your (potential-) clients use.
You: Ah! But what are they?
Me: Oh! 🙂
Well of course “It depends” is really the answer. Just as there are different types of interior designer so too are there different types of customer. If you understand your ‘type(s)’ of customer then you should already know where they digitally hang out. If, indeed, they do that sort of thing at all. Some won’t.
Anyway, as a guideline look at and consider the following:
A. Interior Designer With A Shop or online shops (e-commerce)
Choose: Mass-market retail-type social media: Twitter, pinterest, Google+ and Facebook
You need to work with images, with advertising and frequent/unique content in a highly sales driven way. Focussing on content that converts to sales leads.
B. Practice-Based Residential interior designer (mid-, top-end)
You need a great portfolio showcase somewhere. Probably on your own website. You might also reach out with your selected portfolio to PINTEREST. There’s also a good chance that many of your clients (or at least their partners) will use LINKEDIN. Showcase your service there as well.
You might also consider targeting advertising on facebook where you can select your demographic market quite precisely which will then, of course, mean that you should have a FACEBOOK presence as well.
As a one-off, you should also have a HOUZZ presence. But do not give too much away there. Make your content inspiring but tantalising. Link all the images and content back to YOUR website. Do NOT link to their website and let your leads go elsewhere. C. Hotel / Commercial interior designers
Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest are the sites to use here. However, you CANNOT use them half-heartedly. You really have to interact on these sites. Not just with people looking at your content there but also, on Pinterest, with target clients.
Even then your success here will be limited. The phone call to find out about re-fits, office moves and new hotels will prove the best way to generate new leads. Perhaps couple that with industry knowledge site such as https://hotelprojectsworldwide.com.
Fabric Care Symbols and Cleaning Codes: A Guide for Interior Designers and Specifiers
Fabric care symbols appear on bolt ends, data sheets, and specification documents for every fabric you specify. For interior designers, understanding them is not optional. A client who washes a dry-clean-only velvet sofa, or applies a water-based cleaner to a solvent-only fabric, will hold you responsible for the result. This guide covers the two separate symbol systems that apply to interior fabrics: the ISO 3758 care symbols used on fabric labels, and the upholstery cleaning codes used on furniture and fabric data sheets. It also covers the key updates introduced in ISO 3758:2023.
This is the point most frequently misunderstood when specifying interior fabrics. ISO 3758 care symbols, the pictograms showing a washing tub, iron, triangle, and circle, are a garment and textile labelling system. They appear on fabric bolt ends and care labels and cover washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and dry cleaning. They apply to the fabric as a material.
Upholstery cleaning codes, W, S, WS, and X, are a separate system used on upholstered furniture labels and fabric data sheets. They specify what type of cleaning agent is safe to use on the finished upholstered piece. They apply to the fabric as installed.
A fabric data sheet may show both. The ISO symbols tell you how to care for the fabric before and during upholstery. The cleaning code tells your client how to maintain the piece once it is in use. Both matter and neither substitutes for the other.
The ISO 3758 Care Symbols
Five categories of symbol appear in a standard sequence on every care label: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and dry cleaning. A cross through any symbol means that process must not be applied. A single dot or line within a symbol indicates a reduced or gentle setting. Double dots or lines indicate a normal or higher setting.
Fabric Care Symbols
Washing symbols use a tub shape. A plain tub indicates machine washing is permitted. A hand in the tub indicates hand wash only. A tub with a cross means do not wash by any method. The temperature appears as a number inside the tub or as dots, with one dot for 30 degrees Celsius, two for 40, three for 60, and four for 95. A single bar beneath the tub indicates a reduced agitation or synthetic cycle. Two bars indicate the delicate or wool cycle.
Bleaching symbols use a triangle. A plain triangle permits all bleaching agents. A triangle with two diagonal lines permits only non-chlorine bleach. A triangle with a cross means do not bleach.
Drying symbols use a square. A circle inside the square indicates tumble drying is permitted. One dot inside the circle means low heat. Two dots mean normal heat. A cross through the circle means do not tumble dry. A square with a single horizontal line in the middle means dry flat. A square with a curved line at the top means line dry.
Ironing symbols use an iron shape. One dot means low heat up to 110 degrees Celsius. Two dots mean medium heat up to 150 degrees. Three dots mean high heat up to 200 degrees. A cross means do not iron. Two lines beneath the iron mean do not use steam.
Dry cleaning symbols use a circle. A plain circle means dry cleaning is permitted using any solvent. Letters inside the circle indicate which specific solvents are safe: F indicates hydrocarbon solvents, P indicates perchloroethylene and hydrocarbon solvents, and W indicates wet cleaning. A circle with a cross means do not dry clean.
ISO 3758:2023 Updates
The 2023 revision of ISO 3758 introduced several additions that may appear on fabric data sheets for recently developed or certified ranges.
A new dedicated hand-wash symbol was formalised, showing a hand inside the washing tub with a temperature indicator. Previously hand washing was indicated by the hand symbol alone without a temperature. The 2023 version allows temperature dots to appear alongside the hand symbol to specify the maximum water temperature for hand washing.
A no-steam ironing symbol was added, shown as an iron with two lines beneath it and a cross, distinguishing it from the general do-not-iron instruction. This allows a fabric to be ironed at low temperature on a dry setting while prohibiting steam, which is relevant for fabrics whose finish or surface texture is sensitive to moisture rather than heat.
The dry cleaning circle was expanded to include the W symbol for professional wet cleaning, recognising the increasing availability of controlled aqueous cleaning processes in specialist laundries as an alternative to traditional solvent-based dry cleaning.
If you are working with a fabric whose data sheet shows symbols you do not recognise, check whether they comply with the 2023 revision before making a cleaning recommendation to a client.
The Upholstery Cleaning Codes
The W, S, WS, and X codes appear on upholstered furniture labels and fabric specification sheets. They are the system your client’s housekeeper or cleaning contractor needs to know.
W means water-based cleaning only. Use a water-based shampoo or upholstery cleaner with a clean cloth. Do not use solvent-based cleaners as these may damage the fabric or its backing. Most synthetic fabrics and many treated natural fibres carry a W code.
S means solvent-based cleaning only. Use a dry-cleaning solvent. Do not use water as it can cause shrinkage, watermarks, or damage to the fabric structure. Fabrics carrying an S code include many untreated natural fibres, velvets, and fabrics with water-sensitive finishes.
WS means either water-based or solvent-based cleaning is acceptable. This is the most versatile code and indicates a fabric that can tolerate both cleaning methods depending on the nature of the stain.
X means vacuum or light brushing only. No liquid of any kind should be applied to the fabric. Fabrics carrying an X code are typically fragile, water-sensitive, or finished in a way that would be irreversibly damaged by any liquid. For serious staining on an X-coded fabric, a specialist conservation cleaner should be engaged.
Velvet Upholstery
Velvet requires specific care guidance beyond the standard codes. The pile direction of velvet affects both its appearance and how it responds to cleaning. Always work in the direction of the pile when applying any cleaning agent or when brushing. Cleaning against the pile can cause permanent crushing or an apparent change in colour.
For mohair velvet, dry clean only is the standard recommendation for serious soiling. Spot cleaning with a barely dampened lint-free cloth is acceptable for minor fresh stains, working in the direction of the pile. Water should not be applied heavily as it can cause watermarks or pile matting. For full care guidance see our post on cleaning and maintaining mohair velvet.
FR Treatment and Cleaning
If a fabric has been topically treated with a fire-retardant finish to achieve a Crib 5 pass, cleaning can degrade the treatment. Dry-cleaning solvents in particular can strip a back-coating. The treatment provider should be consulted before any cleaning regime is recommended to a client for a topically treated fabric. Inherently fire-retardant fabrics, such as mohair velvet with an inherent Crib 5 pass, are not affected by this issue because the fire resistance is a property of the fibre itself rather than an applied coating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the letters W, S, WS, and X mean on an upholstered sofa label?
W, S, WS, and X are upholstery cleaning codes that indicate what type of cleaning agent is safe for the fabric. W means use water-based cleaners only. S means use solvent-based dry-cleaning agents only. WS means either method is acceptable. X means vacuum or brush only, with no liquid of any kind. These codes are separate from the ISO 3758 care symbols on fabric labels and apply specifically to the maintenance of the finished upholstered piece in use.
Can you use water to clean a velvet sofa?
Only if the sofa fabric is coded W or WS. A velvet sofa labelled S must be cleaned with a dry-cleaning solvent only. Water applied to an S-coded velvet can cause watermarks, pile matting, and permanent colour change. For a sofa coded WS, a very lightly dampened lint-free cloth worked in the direction of the pile is acceptable for fresh minor stains. Always test any cleaning method on an inconspicuous area first and allow to dry fully before assessing the result.
What does a cross through a care symbol mean on a fabric label?
A cross through any ISO 3758 care symbol means that process must not be applied to the fabric. A cross through the washing tub means do not wash by any method. A cross through the iron means do not iron. A cross through the tumble dry circle means do not tumble dry. A cross through the dry cleaning circle means do not dry clean. When a cross appears, applying that process would damage the fabric and the instruction must be followed precisely.
What is the difference between care symbols on a fabric bolt and the cleaning code on a sofa label?
Care symbols on a fabric bolt follow ISO 3758 and cover washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and dry cleaning of the fabric as a material. The cleaning code on a sofa label, W, S, WS, or X, is a separate system that specifies what cleaning agent is safe for the fabric as an installed upholstered piece. Both systems are relevant to interior fabric specification and aftercare advice, but they serve different purposes and apply at different stages of the fabric’s life.
Does dry cleaning a fabric remove a Crib 5 fire treatment?
For fabrics with a topical Crib 5 fire treatment, dry-cleaning solvents can degrade or remove the back-coating that provides fire resistance. Before recommending any cleaning regime for a topically treated fabric, confirm the appropriate method with the FR treatment provider. Fabrics with an inherent Crib 5 pass, such as mohair velvet, are not affected by this issue because the fire resistance is a property of the fibre itself and is not removed by cleaning.
What is the cleaning code for mohair velvet upholstery?
Mohair velvet upholstery is typically coded S, meaning solvent-based dry-cleaning agents only. Water applied directly to mohair velvet can cause watermarks, pile matting, and an apparent change in colour that is difficult or impossible to reverse. For minor fresh stains, a barely dampened lint-free cloth worked in the direction of the pile is acceptable as a first response. Any serious soiling should be referred to a specialist dry cleaner with experience of velvet upholstery.
What is the cleaning code for faux leather upholstery?
Faux leather upholstery is typically coded W or WS, meaning water-based cleaning is safe and in most cases the preferred method. A clean damp cloth is the standard approach for PVC and PU faux leathers. Avoid harsh solvents unless specifically confirmed as safe by the manufacturer, as some solvent-based agents can damage the surface coating or cause discolouration over time.
How do you clean linen upholstery fabric?
Most upholstery linen is coded S or WS depending on the specific range and finish. Pre-washed linen is generally more tolerant of spot cleaning with a water-based solution than untreated linen. Always confirm the cleaning code on the fabric data sheet before advising a client. Linen should never be saturated with liquid and should be dried naturally without applied heat to avoid shrinkage.
What happens if you use water on a fabric coded S?
Applying water to a fabric coded S can cause irreversible damage including watermarks, shrinkage, pile distortion in velvets, and loss of surface finish. The S code indicates that the fabric structure or finish is sensitive to water and that only dry-cleaning solvents are safe. If water has been applied accidentally, blot immediately without rubbing, allow to dry naturally, and consult a specialist upholstery cleaner before taking any further action.
What does dry clean only mean for an upholstered piece?
Dry clean only on an upholstered piece corresponds to the S cleaning code and means only solvent-based cleaning agents should be used. For upholstered pieces that cannot be removed and taken to a dry cleaner, a specialist in-situ upholstery cleaning service should be engaged. These services apply solvent-based agents on location without saturating the fabric or the foam beneath it.
How do you read care symbols on a fabric data sheet?
Care symbols on a fabric data sheet follow ISO 3758 and appear in a fixed sequence from left to right: washing, bleaching, drying, ironing, and dry cleaning. A cross through any symbol means do not apply that process. Numbers or dots inside the washing tub indicate the maximum temperature in degrees Celsius. A bar beneath the tub indicates reduced agitation. These symbols describe how to care for the fabric as a material. The cleaning code, W, S, WS, or X, is listed separately and describes how to maintain the finished upholstered piece.
Can you iron velvet upholstery fabric?
Velvet should not be ironed directly. The heat and pressure of an iron will crush the pile permanently. The care label for velvet will typically show a cross through the iron symbol or, at most, a single-dot low-heat symbol with the instruction to iron on the reverse only. If velvet requires refreshing after crushing or creasing, holding a steam iron a few centimetres above the surface and brushing gently in the direction of the pile is the recommended method. Do not allow the iron to make contact with the fabric face.
Does washing a fabric remove its Crib 5 fire retardant treatment?
Repeated washing can degrade the back-coating of a topically treated Crib 5 fabric over time. The BS 5852 standard includes a water-soak test as part of full certification, meaning a certified fabric has demonstrated resistance to a single water soak, but this does not guarantee indefinite resistance to repeated cleaning. Always confirm the recommended cleaning method with the treatment provider for topically treated fabrics. For inherently Crib 5 fabrics such as mohair velvet, the fire resistance is a property of the fibre and is unaffected by cleaning.
Request Samples
Order cutting samples of any fabric from our current collections. Trade accounts only.
Many of these fabric companies sell a wide range of products including: chenille, contract fabric, faux / fake leather, mohair velvet, linen velvet, cotton velvet, wool, hand woven products, natural silk, cashmere and damask for upholstery, curtains and cushions.
As a designer consider that there would be minimum quantities imposed by the manufacturer to cover special setup and organisational costs. Such fabric would not be wanted by anyone else and so you would have to buy the fabric by the roll – anything from 20m to 200m. So, although possible, we generally advise against it.
There are also more detailed reasons. From a manufacturing point of view it is very hard to guarantee a match to the colour you have – some dyes are better than others, so fabrics TAKE dyes better than others. Sometimes you know the exact original colour and other times not. Sometimes the fabric you are trying to match to might have a pile – so even if you workout a textile pantone colour, what exactly are you measuring? The fabric will look differently coloured from different angles.
The fabric you have may well have faded since purchase and there will be colour tolerances in what a manufacturer can produce from new. You would also have to consider that new and old would wear and fade differently – so there are many sources of ‘error’ or colour variation. Therefore our experience (from other manufacturers it’s the same) is that an exact match is rarely achieved and then the client/manufacturer relationship could be spoilt and a lot of time wasted by both parties.
This book approaches Interior Design from an academic perspective rather than ‘here’s a picture to inspire you.”
Many aspiring Designers will soon realise from this book that Interior Design is more than just ‘creativity’. It is a mix of people, process, technology and, yes, creativity too.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2WFoWQy-unk] Mixing Patterns – A video from an interior designer. You other interior designers should start making videos like this…great way to get new clients (sometimes)
