Images courtesy of Ingrid Sundberg

.

The moment eventually comes around for everyone: It’s time to get a new sofa. While this experience can be a burden, whether it’s fighting against indecisiveness or having separation anxiety about parting with the current sofa, we all share the same struggle. In order to put your mind at ease during your next search for the perfect sofa, Kravet has turned to the design experts, who have some guidance in choosing the perfect sofa, to share some helpful advice. What we discovered is essential to turning this impossible task into an overall positive experience. Focus your sofa search on fulfilling the five key aspects: comfort, mood, customization, practicality and personal preference.

Aspect #1: comfort -Windsor Smith
According to Windsor Smith, the most common need when looking for a new sofa is comfort. This is a purchase that will become not just a decoration, but a staple in your home or space for years to come. When comfortable, a sofa can become your new solace and friend, but if it lacks that much needed comfort, you will most likely find yourself counting down the years until it is time to purchase a new one. “I don’t own a sofa that isn’t at least 40 inches deep, so I can curl up. Anything shallower feels like it belongs in a dentist’s lobby,” say Smith.

Aspect #2: mood – Barbara Barry
Barbara Barry, who enjoys working with a variety of patterns, colors and textures, explains that when it comes to choosing a sofa, the color will dictate the mood of the entire room. Often acting as a main focal point of a space, a sofa has the power to incite a certain atmosphere that will be evident to any person who enters. Barry explains, “To establish calm, I upholster sofas in a solid that’s the same color as the walls and curtains.” Therefore, be careful in choosing a sofa, make sure the color compliments the room in the way you would like it to, creating the desired mood.

Aspect #3: customization – David Easton
Designer David Easton acknowledges an important lesson: certain sofas are right for certain rooms. “If you have 8-foot ceilings, you’ll want a low sofa, which gives the impression that the ceiling is taller than it is. In a room with a high ceiling, you want a high-back sofa to be a weighty presence that can hold up the room.” People spend so much time choosing the perfect sofa because they want it to look good so don’t comprise the look of the room by choosing an ill-fitting shaped sofa. This principle coincides with Easton’s strong belief that the architecture of a room should always be respected while decorating. Make sure to follow the rules and customize your sofa needs in order to make the room look the best it possibly can.

Aspect #4: practicality – Alexa Hampton
As a working mother, Alexa Hampton knows that when looking for a sofa, practicality takes priority. She believes in a fresh approach to classic, traditional styling, all while displaying the perfect amount of warmth and softness. “As a mother of three, my sofa needs are few, but firmly formulated: I needed my sofa to be comfortable and maintainable. So I selected a tight-back Bridgewater style, because it requires minimal fluffing (just the seat) to appear tidy. The saddle arm cradles my neck perfectly during naps, and although tufting is a detail I love on sofas, I avoided it because, with young children, tufts collect crumbs. I may turn to my sofa for naps but I don’t want to turn to it for snacks. Yuck!” Therefore, make sure to choose a sofa that will make your life easier, not harder.

Aspect #5: personal preference – Suzanne Rheinstein
Lastly, Suzanne Rheinstein reminds us that while searching for a new sofa, remember that this process is about you so always adhere to your own personal preferences. “I like 80% down, 20% feathers in my sofa cushions. Though I prefer 100% down in the decorative pillows.” It doesn’t matter if you have incredibly high standards or an extremely unique sense of style, you should always choose the sofa that will make you happiest.

Now, the next time you find yourself in the market for a new sofa remember the five key aspects: comfort, mood, customization, practicality and personal preference and I ensure you that you’ll end up with the perfect sofa to accent your space.

Source: http://kravet.typepad.com/.

Today, our homes are influenced by many styles from around the world. Ethnically inspired designs such as ikats and suzanis have been mixed into our home decor as well as our wardrobes for years. It has become the norm to incorporate globally influenced designs into our everyday life. In this article I would like to familiarize everyone with the art of Batik.

Pronounced ‘bah-teak,’ the name is derived from the word ‘ambatik’ which means a cloth with little dots. The suffix ‘tik’ describes a resist process for dyeing the fabric. Samples of dye resistance patterns on cloth can be traced back 1500 years to Egypt and the Middle East. Many believe it was brought to Asia by travelers from the Indian subcontinent. It has been said the art form reached its height on the island of Java in Indonesia.

Batik is the official fabric of Indonesia. Traditional Batik was used as a sarong for the Kebaya dress, which is a traditional blouse dress that originated in Indonesia. Infants are carried in Batik slings decorated with symbols designed to bring luck to the child. Certain designs are reserved for brides and grooms as well as their families. Other designs are reserved for the Sultan, his family and their attendants. It is said a person’s rank could be determined by the pattern they wore. For special occasions traditional batik was decorated with gold leaf or gold dust, which is known as Prada, the Javanese word for gold.

So what exactly is resist dyeing? The term refers to a method of dyeing textiles using wax to prevent the dye from reaching all the cloth, thereby creating a pattern. There are various methods used to apply liquid wax, include pouring the liquid wax, painting the wax with a brush and applying the wax to a pre-carved wooden or metal wire block and stamping the fabric. The wax is applied to the areas of the design where the artisan does not want the dye to take. This prevents or resists the dye from penetrating the fabric, leaving the waxed area the original color of the cloth which is usually white or cream.

After the initial wax has been applied, the fabric is ready for the dye bath. The final hue depends on how long the cloth is dipped or soaked in the dye bath. The longer it is immersed in the dye bath, the darker the color. Once the desired hue is achieved, the fabric is put into a cold bath to harden the wax. When the area is dry, the wax is then scrapped away with a small knife. The number of colors in the design represents how many times it has been soaked and how many times the wax has been applied and removed. The level of craftsmanship is evident when the pattern is equally visible on both sides of the cloth, which indicates that the wax has been applied to both sides. Traditionally there are two categories of batik design: geometric and flora/fauna. Today, batik designs are emulated as a woven or as a printed fabric to bring this unique look to everyone.

It is always a thrill for me to research and answer your questions because I not only have the pleasure of explaining the world of textiles but I also have the opportunity to learn along with you all. So please…keep the questions coming.

Source: http://kravet.typepad.com/.