Kvadrat’s expert advice for textile selection
Rooted in shared traditions of innovation with a nod to heritage, our friends at Muuto sat down with Kvadrat, a Danish company renowned for its high-quality textiles created in collaboration with leading designers, to explore the art of selecting the perfect textiles for sofas and upholstered furniture.
Stine Find Osther, Vice President of Design at Kvadrat, who has worked for 17 years in product development, delves into how thoughtful textile choices can profoundly transform a space's aesthetics and functionality.
Find out more below >
Colour profoundly impacts both the visual and emotional atmospheres of spaces, serving as a foundational element in textile design that dictates mood, style and cohesion within an environment.
"Colour is incredibly important. You can completely change the look of an interior depending on how you work with colour." explains Stine.
Muuto’s approach to colour, incorporating both vibrant hues and refined neutrals, mirrors that of Kvadrat - emphasising colour's significant role in both functionality and visual appeal through deliberate colour usage.
Techniques like melange, a fabric made from yarns of mixed colours, create a subtle, multi-tonal effect and are used by Kvadrat to enrich textiles with depth and durability.
"Each grey in Kvadrat’s textile selection is developed specifically for that product, offering diversity while maintaining consistency." explains Stine.
The texture and form of textiles are crucial in how furniture pieces are perceived and interacted with, significantly influencing the comfort, aesthetics and overall user
experience. This dynamic interplay between the melange fabric and soft shapes enhances the tactile quality of the fabric, inviting engagement and touch.
"Soft shapes are wonderful for textiles, especially melange fabrics because the curves allow the fabric to play with light and shadow," notes Stine.
Selecting the right textiles goes beyond aesthetic choices, involving a deep understanding of the material’s interaction with its environment and intended use.
"Consider the purpose of the furniture. What kind of traffic will it endure?" Stine advises, ensuring that the textiles not only add beauty but also withstand daily demands.
Stine also encourages a bold approach to textile selection.
"It’s rare to regret making a bold choice, but many people regret playing it too safe."
If you're looking for inspiration from textiles that resonate most with our customers, here are the top four best-sellers, explained in Stine's own words why they are popular and endure:
Remix 3: Celebrated for its innovative colour blending technique, where dyed wool is woven into complex, harmonious surfaces, Remix adapts seamlessly to various interiors. This textile showcases the dynamic use of colour. Due to its complex melange design, it acts like glue in an interior, connecting colours used throughout the space and creating a cohesive visual flow.
Steel Cut Trio 3: Known for its distinctive texture that captures and plays with light, this textile imparts an architectural quality that enhances modern spaces, aligning with our focus on tactile and visual depth. Due to the way colours are integrated into this material, it exhibits an architectural structure - when placed on different surfaces, whether vertical or horizontal, the colours dynamically change, adding a transformative element to any setting.
Hallingdal 65: Hallingdal 65 by Nanna Ditzel is one of Kvadrat's foundational textiles and has been a pivotal part of their collection since the company's inception. As a cornerstone of both our textile offerings, Hallingdal’s popularity stems from its durability and broad colour palette, making it a versatile choice for diverse environments.
Divina MD: A textile known for its sophisticated, rich colours that shift and deepen with changes in viewer perspective. It delivers a bold colour statement and features a smooth, directionless surface that perfectly complements organically shaped furniture.
Durability is a cornerstone of both Muuto’s and Kvadrat’s design philosophy. She explains, "For Kvadrat, when we develop a textile, we make over 100 specific decisions before we finalise the product." This meticulous attention ensures that each textile not only meets aesthetic standards but also stands up to the rigours of daily use.
To ensure the lasting beauty of your textiles, it’s essential to consider their care, particularly in how they maintain colour and resist pilling. Regular vacuuming is recommended as part of the maintenance routine to keep the textiles clean and prolong their life. Following the specific cleaning guidelines provided for each textile will also help prolong their life and appearance, ensuring they remain a cherished part of your interior for years to come.
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