The home design industry is buzzing this year with the news of great new textiles. Advances in durability, sustainability, as well as new design trends for indoor and outdoor fabrics are showing up at home shows, in industry news, and in consumer showrooms across the country.

AquaTeak is constantly striving to improve the quality and beauty of our products. Our customers have come to expect that from us. In addition to the most beautiful teak furniture and accessories for your bathroom and outdoor patio, our line of outdoor furniture features the latest in green textiles and durable fabrics.

In this two-part article, we’re going to explore the trends that you should be watching out for this year as you plan your new outdoor entertaining space or begin your bathroom renovation.

We’re going to start our journey outside, and take a look at the latest trends and technology in textiles for outdoor living.

Outdoor fabrics

Our AquaTeak team is always looking for new and existing ways to bring new color, design, and pricing options to the market. One of the ways we do that is by keeping an eye on the latest technology and trends. Here are some of our favorite fabrics, and some technologies that are new to the market which we’ll be keeping an eye on.

Batyline

Manufactured by Serge Ferrari, Batyline is a time-tested, durable outdoor fabric that is introducing advanced technology and designs this year. The fabric, easily manufactured as a weave or mesh, can be applied to almost any outdoor furniture design. With 59 different colors, seven of which are specifically manufactured for their fire-retardant properties, furniture manufacturers, like AquaTeak, who use this fabric are able to offer colors that match any style.

New product offerings this year include the Batyline Duo line of metallic fabrics and the Batyline Lounge series designed with softness, luxury and elegance in mind.

The lounge series is being used by high-end, outdoor furniture manufacturers for cushions and upholstery. In addition to its luxurious feel, it is waterproof and very easy to maintain.

Also new to the line this year is the Canatex series which integrates hemp fibers. It retains the luxurious feel of other Batyline fabrics, but has a more natural look, which is right on trend for 2017.

In addition to the Batyline fabric, Serge Ferrari is always bringing new technology to market. We’re especially excited to see where designers take the company’s new Stamskin One line of textiles.The new material offers extreme thermal comfort so cushions and upholstery stay cool, even in the hottest sun. It is fire resistant, impervious to water and has been tested in temperatures ranging from -100 degrees fahrenheit to over 300 degrees fahrenheit. Its peach-fuzz style soft feel stays like-new almost indefinitely, resists fading, and is as close to indestructible as we’ve seen in a new fabric.

Viro ®

It is not an accident that our lines of wicker use two types of materials and that Viro Wicker is one of those. The company is a leading innovator in the outdoor textiles manufacturing market. Over the past 30 years they have continually improved on their ViroFiber materials. Their products are environmentally friendly, extremely durable, non-toxic and require only a hose and water to keep clean. We love this stuff.

Innovations from Viro this year include Viromat, a sisal-style textile that makes a great alternative to traditional sisal rugs or wall coverings. The company’s new Rope line is being used for decorative applications, and because it is so strong, many companies are exploring structural applications.

One of the most exciting innovations for this year is their new Flexo material. It maintains all of the environmentally-friendly and durability characteristics of Viro Wicker, but is a flexible, soft-to-the-ttouch, pliable weave. The leather-like texture is opening up a whole new world for outdoor furniture designers and manufacturers. We look forward to seeing what creations this new material inspires.

Rehau®

You’ll find Rehau® Wicker in a number of our outdoor furniture styles. It is extraordinarily UV resistant, can stand up to just about any weather conditions, requires very little maintenance and maintains its color almost indefinitely. The company uses non-toxic materials and maintains environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes.

Rehau Raucord® Wicker is available in bright, vibrant colors, as well as in their true color line which comes about as close to matching mother nature’s own style as you can get. They’ve introduced a metallic shimmer version of their wicker material. And their patented creative loom collection allows furniture manufactures to duplicate the fine texture and flexibility of traditional paper loom wicker, while maintaining all of the durability of its Raucord material. This is a very unique offering in the manufactured wicker market, and we expect to see great designs introduced that incorporate the paper-wicker look.

Sunbrella®

A favorite of the marine industry and outdoor furniture designers for more than 40 years, Sunbrella is more than just a tried-and-true name; they are innovators and leaders in sustainability. Their high-performing outdoor materials are more UV-resistant than just about any other fabrics. And they are as beautiful as they are durable. Those are only a few of the reasons you’ll find Sunbrella included in the AquaTeak line of outdoor patio furniture.

The majority of Sunbrella fabric is manufactured right here in the United States at their South Carolina manufacturing plant. Its manufacturing facilities are all certified zero landfill production sites. In 2011, the company built a solar array that has since reduced its North Carolina plant’s CO2 emissions by 1,000 tons per year. They’ve also developed new textile dying techniques that significantly reduces wastewater.

We love Sunbrella versatility. Not only are our Sunbrella cushions comfortable and durable, but the fabric is suitable for a whole host of outdoor uses including curtains or drapes for your outdoor living space. Designers use it for all kinds of applications. And for the DIYer, fabric is available direct to consumers from distributors across the country. It is easy to work with and once your creative juices get flowing, you’ll find that you can’t put it down.

Next time

We’re almost as crazy about textiles as we are about teak. We love that we’re able to offer our customers the world’s best teak patio furniture, and we’re proud to use only the world’s best, most durable materials and textiles when we’re not working with teak.

In our next installment, we’ll take a look at some more technology and trends for inside your home. Meanwhile, while you are here, shop our outdoor patio furniture and teak bathroom furniture and accessories. We’re sure you’ll find something you love.