Passionate About Fabrics
Nicole Franzen has this striking high-backed sofa on her site. We love the upholstery linen and cushion tones. Good quality upholstery linen is notoriously difficult to find – especially of a sufficiently robust contract standard. You need look no further than KOTHEA upholstery linen.
We like this blue velvet upholstered slipper chair. Simple design, quite cute. KOTHEA upholstery velvets include compositions of pure mohair, silk, cashmere, kid-mohair, linen and cotton.
When used intelligently, KOTHEA faux leather upholstery can create amazing and durable effects for interior designers. This crocodile/alligator effect, in an amazing turquoise colourway, is a case in point.
Many interior designers prefer faux leather to real leather for a variety of practical reasons. Mostly it can look the same but, as in the case above, more effects can be readily added to the faux alternative. The faux leathers (or faux skins if you like) really can mimic most hide effects from boar to buffalo from snake to crocodile – there really is a limitless range of possibilities even I just the texture. The faux product is typically easier to make up (as it is available by the metre rather than by the hide) and it is often less expensive and also more readily maintained in excellent condition.
Taylor Llorente Furniture exhibit this amazing crystal ice chandelier that I love.
This wingback chair by Howell is nicely upholstered in orange linen. A bit striking a colour for some, maybe!
Perhaps the colour adds something interesting to this otherwise classic design?
Sourcing upholstery linens can be tricky; KOTHEA have a good range of upholstery weight linens.
London architects, Allies & Morrison,designed this interesting flying, angular staircase above an escalator. Different.
AMOK are a great interior design company and , if you like red, you’ll love this bed.
Great interior architecture and design from 1508. Lovely space with great water feature/indoor pool and seating area.
On 13th January 2014 the BBC broadcast an episode of Fake Britain which focused on the sale of sofas and mattresses in the UK which were claimed to be non-compliant with the Furniture & Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988.
The programme showed 10 sofas being purchased by Leicestershire Trading Standards from a number of well-known retailers and a number of memory-foam mattresses purchased by the programme makers themselves. HSTTS are aware that most if not all retailers already demand that all such items falling under the Furniture Regulations are independently tested and evidence of compliance (usually in the form of test reports) submitted to the retailer to keep on file for reference. In some instances the retailer is also commissioning their own testing on goods actually delivered to the retailer as part of a due diligence program. The BBC programme inferred that, based on their testing, there may be a significant proportion of non-compliant upholstered furniture and mattresses on the UK market. HSTTS does not know how true this inference is but how confident are you that the products you place on the market are compliant with the strict UK Regulations? HSTTS is able to offer a range of fully UKAS-accredited flammability testing for upholstery fabrics and filling materials for furniture and mattresses including: | ||||
Furniture & Furnishings (Fire)(Safety) Regulations:
The above tests are based on Other tests available include:
and many more … The UK’s current fire safety regulations for furniture have been estimated to save approximately 250 lives every year since their introduction in 1988. Changes in the supply chain market such as the admission of new countries to the EU and the movement of manufacturing offshore affects the potential for non-compliant product to be placed on the UK market and the retailer or importer must become ever more vigilent. How well do you know your supply chain? Do you have adequate records to show the traceability between test reports for the individual materials used in upholstered furniture and mattresses and the furniture/mattresses that you sell? Not only can HSTTS provide testing services but our team of experts can provide consultancy and guidance on how to ensure that you have a robust system of traceability. Don’t let yourselves get caught out – lives are at risk! | ||||
For more information and advice: For more information and advice about flammability testing or compliance with the UK Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, contact: Paul Neesam, Head of Fire Testing pauln@hstts.co.uk |
Nice image from the April Hamilton website. Imagine these for your Roman Blinds…very nice details
