apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

wow, thanks for highlighting this! now etsy doesn't have to be my only source for affordable-yet-awesome fabric! (though of course i'll continue to support local artists, too!)

This one doesn't have much available, but it could do several chair seats quite nicely (angela adams):
http://www.modern-fabrics.com/store/product-info.php?pid419.html

Oh, I LOVE tweed!!! I want a sofa out of this:
http://www.modern-fabrics.com/store/product-info.php?pid428.html

Yay for Eames dot pattern remnants!
http://www.modern-fabrics.com/store/product-info.php?pid412.html

....how exactly they get this textile?

im pretty sure that KnollTextiles doesnt just throw away yards and yards of still in use textiles.

Actually i know that KT doesnt.

its a great idea. but, im hoping they have permission from the actual companies to do this.

eBay is also a great source for high end upholstery and drapery fabric at deep discount.

bellaknollie, my understanding is that the fabric Modern Fabrics sells is excess fabric from COM orders, cancelled orders, and fabric over orders from North Carolina furniture manufacturers. They certainly aren't buying it directly from Knoll as their prices are less than half of the net price.

the COM i understand. but knoll does not trash canceled orders from the manufactures just like that .

i

Let me start by saying thanks to Kyle of AT for this great feature on us - you've highlighted some great fabrics as well!

Much appreciated!

To help answer a few questions about our business model:

1. Modern Fabrics reclaims new designer fabrics from the cutting room floors of luxury furniture manufacturers in North Carolina.

2. Modern Fabrics makes these salvaged fabrics available to eco-conscious consumers who intend to reduce demand for virgin materials and to reduce waste. And of course we want these fabrics to be more affordable!

3. Designer fabric companies, such as Knoll Textiles, source their fabrics from numerous independent mills, both domestically and internationally. Therefore, it is conceivable without Knoll Textiles' knowledge, that exorbitant mill ends and fabric "waste" are produced on a daily basis. The question then becomes,"What happens to this waste?"

4. While textile manufacturing waste has yet to be eliminated, enlightened textile brands have begun to partner with independent mills beginning to embrace lower impact manufacturing processes. A handful of mills, worldwide, have eliminated harmful practices completely and have implemented system wide cradle-to-cradle practices.

5. Finally, all textile companies discontinue fabric designs on a daily basis. They are not necessarily discontinued because they have poor sales performance. We have found many wonderful designs discontinued because the independent mill "tooled up" for a particular design could no longer compete globally or were unwilling to innovate or modernize.

Unfortunately, our municipal landfills are often the final resting place for these fabrics. Once they are discontinued, they become a liability, take up space for newer selling fabrics, and are cumbersome to handle and deal with.

Therefore, it is essential to foster and create a secondary market for these unwanted fabrics.

Modern Fabrics is committed to building a larger market for these discarded fabrics while ensuring an ecological textile life-cycle. We want to encourage designers to utilize existing sources of textiles before resorting to consuming more raw materials. There is quite simply a glut of fabric out there that begs the attention of our creative professionals and individuals.

Please reply with any questions or comments!

Thank you from Modern Fabrics!

James Ewa Powell (owners)
http://www.modern-fabrics.com
704-740-9675

I wanted to add that I am an Interior Designer and have started a similar resource called Sample Scrap by working directly with fabric manufacturers to reclaim discontinued samples and roll ends of fabric: www.samplescrap.com, sold on Etsy as well.

Keep up the good work, Modern Fabrics!

Awesome store SampleScrap!

We love Pallas! Very good quality -

To everyone- don't let these fabrics get wasted.

Please support *all* fabric recycling efforts!

You too, keep up the good work samplescrap!