Hello AT,
I just bought this "South Beach" chair from Pompanoosuc Mills -- got it for half price at their factory in Vermont. It was a great deal but the fabric that came on the cushions is really ugly, so I want to reupholster. I love Marimekko fabrics, but their upholstery-weight choices are very limited. Where I else should I look for fun, colorful fabrics for my gorgeous new chair? (I have a kid and a dog, too...so it needs to be tough.) I'm attaching an image of the South Beach. Oh and btw, your blog is completely irresistible.
thanks! DJ Marks
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Try Knoll Textiles. They have an extensive catalogue of modern upholstery fabrics.
Check out the upholstery weight fabrics at reprodepot.com
Is the chair going to used a lot? Nice chair, by the way.
If not used a lot Marimekko fabric should be okay.
The cotton fabric is more dense than other cottons. At least that's been my experience. Make sure you get the fabric from Marimekko.
Other stores sell their products but, the specs are different.
Try contemporarycloth.com I'm not sure how much upholstery grade material they have but I've ordered curtain fabric from them.
I can tell you that I've seen quite a few of contemporary cloth's stuff in various stores, and a lot if it isn't upholstery weight at all. Instead it is a quilting cloth...definitely not heavy duty enough.
I second Knoll though. I should post some pics of a chair I re-did in a really cool, green Knoll fabric. (here's the fabric:http://www.knoll.com/products/printTextileProduct.jsp?prod_id=558&skunno=6&colorname=Kiwi)
I will say this, going into Knoll is kinda intimidating though because they don't usually deal with individuals. It's more corporate stuff, but their fabrics are great. I was actually the first person that they had encountered that was going to do their own upholstery.
http://www.iluvfabrix.com/ has a lot of upholstery/drapery fabric. (never ordered from them myself, though)
thanks for the tips...the chair is going to get A LOT of use...so i'm definitely going to need some seriously tough stuff. By the way, you should check out pompy.com if you want to splurge on a piece of really well- constructed wood furniture.Some of the styles are ugly, some are beautiful, but it's all SO well made. We have a bed we bought about five years ago that will definitely outlast us...we just love it after having lots of wobbly Ikea in our lives...
There's a great shop called Tonic (http://www.tonicliving.com/) I've purchased from before that sells some barkcloth and upholstery-weight fabrics. They also sell some of their fabrics on ebay - a good way to get a deal every once in a while.
They only happen sporadically, so you may not want to wait, but I got some great fabric at the Donghia sample sale. when they happen, they sell remnants for only $20/yard. I ended up getting about 8 yards of this great, heavy duty, patterned fabric that I used to reupholster an ottoman.
www.architex.com also has awesome upholstery, including patterns from the great angela adams that look excellent with any modern piece. they aren't cheap, but neither are knoll nor marimekko, and they will last forever...
I had a similar experience to Brian - I went to the local Knoll showroom to look at their upholstery fabrics b/c I want to reupholster some vintage Jens Risom chairs I got off ebay.
They were little confused at first when I told them it just for personal use and not for a corporate account, but when I explained the project, they warmed up pretty quickly. The sales staff all struck me as design/modernist nerds, so it was all good.
They even mailed me a whole a bunch of swatches to look at before I decided on the final one.
I was at a Lay-Z-Boy store yesterday going through the Todd Oldham fabrics with a friend who is ordering a chair there...I was totally impressed with the quality, the colors and the prints...retro stripes, cool birds, etc. I don't know if you can order Todd stuff by the yard for other projects, but it's worth looking into....
Knoll is not used to dealing with people who aren't in the trade. In fact, you might get a better price working through a designer (like me!) who doesn't charge full retail. If you go it on your own, make sure you check for the number of "double rubs". The higher the number, the more durable the fabric. Why not try an indoor/outdoor fabric? It won't fade, can take spills and there are lots of great designs out there now.
If you are in NYC, try Mood Fabrics. They have an entire floor of upholstery fabrics. Great selection and a good array of price points.