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- [00:02]
A
Welcome to how to Decorate from Ballard Designs, a weekly podcast all about the trials and triumphs of decorating and redecorating your home. I'm Caroline. I'm on the marketing team.
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B
And I'm Taryn and I'm a product designer.
- [00:13]
C
I'm Liz. I head up the creative team.
- [00:15]
A
We're your hosts. Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world.
- [00:22]
B
Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode.
- [00:25]
C
We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email us@podcastallardesigns.net now on with the show.
- [00:34]
D
This episode is brought to you by Peloton Break through the busiest time of year with the brand new Peloton Cross Training Tread Plus. Powered by Peloton iq. With real time guidance and endless ways to move, you can personalize your workouts and train with confidence, helping you reach your goals in less time. Let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push, and go explore the new peloton cross training Tread plus@onepelaton.com.
- [01:00]
A
All right, we get lots of questions here on the podcast. There are lots of common themes that pop up among them, one of which is about performance fabrics. That is a new, you know, kind of buzzword in the industry, the home industry right now. And we know people have lots of questions about it. What does it mean? So we invited the experts to come answer your questions. Patrick Shelton from Valdez Weavers and Inside out performance fabrics. With 10 years of experience at Valdez, Patrick brings deep technical expertise in fabric, fabric contents, cleanability, real world applications of performance fabrics. And he's going to decode it all for us. So, Patrick, welcome to the show.
- [01:39]
E
Thank you so much. Happy to be here and be part of the conversation and I will do my best, I promise.
- [01:44]
A
Well, there are, you know, obviously we, we work together. We carry inside out performance fabrics in our collection in a, in addition to a couple other varieties, you know, we carry Sunbrella and some Krypton and some other things. But we're going to talk about performance fabrics as a whole and, you know, just try to get down into all the details, what people should know when they're shopping, questions they may have about, you know, where should I put it, what is like the right application, when do I need it, what is the cleaning like, all that kind of stuff. So maybe we can just start at the beginning and you give us kind of a rundown of what is, what is the, what does the term performance Fabric mean to wait, Caroline. What?
- [02:33]
B
We should start with who Patrick is. I know nothing about this.
- [02:36]
A
He said he worked. Okay. All right.
- [02:38]
B
Patrick, how did you get into this, seeing as this has been, you know, you guys have so much history. So I want to know how you got in here.
- [02:46]
E
Well, I started at Valley's weavers about 15 years ago in management training role and you know, that encompassed a lot of different things. So, you know, from working on every shift that we have to making yarn and dyeing yarn and weaving fabric, finishing fabric, testing, quality standards, sampling, distribution, everything that we do as a company, you know, I got an up close and personal look at it. So got a deep understanding of, of who we are and what we do, which continues to help me be a better asset and resource as I work with, with Ballard to, to get you the best product that's in line and appropriate with, with what you do as a company and what you're looking for.
- [03:32]
B
Will you tell us now about Valdez Valdez Weavers and just like the start of it and.
- [03:38]
E
Absolutely. So Valdez weavers is a 110-year-old company based in the foothills of North Carolina, actually in Valdez, North Carolina. So it's about 10 minutes, 15 minutes west of Hickory, North Carolina, furniture capital of the world. We're about an hour northwest of Charlotte, an hour and a half west of High Point where furniture market is held twice a year. But we are a completely vertical textile mill, the largest in, in North America, and you know, one of the leaders to a number of different markets that we serve. So nobody does that. Everything that, that we do which is allowed for us to, you know, continue to thrive and you know, withstand different challenges and obstacles that the industry's faced for a number of years. But you know, as I talk about being completely vertical, we make yarn dye on, we finish, you know, we have 40 designers on staff. We operate three shifts a day, five or six days a week. And a really cool nugget for us is we're 100% employee owned. So we have over 700 associates at Valdez Weavers, all of which are owners of the company. So really cool from a culture aspect that all of our associates get to take part and benefit from, from our shared success. But you know, as a company, we service a lot of different markets. So furniture, you know, upholstery, fabric is really the core of what we do. But we're also a leading supplier to fabric distributors that service and sell to the interior design trade. We work with all of the lifestyle furniture retail brands. We work in the contract and hospitality segment of the market. So, you know, office systems and wall covering fabrics and fabrics for hospitality and hotels. So we do a lot of different things, but that diversification, you know, keeps us steady all while we're trying to come up with what's next. You know, innovation is the cornerstone of what makes us unique and special, but it also, that challenge keeps us at the forefront of the market. So, you know, performance is a big topic and a big category for us as a company. And over the last 10 years, as performance has gone from a nice to have to a must have, you know, it now makes up about 75% of all of our sales. So it's continued to grow and evolve and our assets and resources have continued to be devoted to, to offering unique and special and decorative and beautiful products that your customers and clients and designers want to have without sacrifice.
- [06:25]
A
Taryn, do you have a follow up question or can we get into performance fabrics? And fine.
- [06:30]
B
Yes, let's get into the nitty gritty of just what are these and everything. So any listener who's, you know, this is new to them to understand. Let's just get that education going.
- [06:44]
E
So generally when we have conversations around, you know, performance fabrics, we always start with the question, you know, what, what is performance? What does it actually mean? Because there's not a specific definition for performance and what it is and what it should do. Because to be honest, it, it changes with every customer and their lifestyle and what their needs are in and around performance. So, you know, performance, is it durability? Is it cleanability? And you know, is it cleanable with soap and water? Is it cleanable with bleach? Is it fade resistant? Is it liquid resistant? Is it, is it eco friendly on top of all of these things? And you know, to this point, there have been so many different types of products that satisfy certain parts of, of that answer. And there are a lot of great products and brands that, that do various things, but, you know, performance in and of itself is a gray topic at best. So what I hope to help with today is help clarify some of, you know, what performance means and ultimately allow for your customer to make the best selection for their environment and their lifestyle as they shop at Valid.
- [07:58]
A
Yeah, so there are a lot of different things that fall under that performance fabrics umbrella. It's kind of like a buzzword that encompasses a lot. So it is hard to know when you're shopping what you're actually getting and what each different brand means by performance fabric. So there are, would you say there are like generally two big groups. There's sort of the solution dyed and the, or the yarn dyed, which is what inside out is. And then there's also some things that are like more coded after they've been. I don't even know if I'm using the right terms, but like they've been weaved, woven and then they're coated. So talk to us about those kind of two things. Just sort of overview of what, what types of things we're talking about when we're talking about performance fabrics.
- [08:51]
E
Yeah, so performance can be, can be achieved in, you know, in two different ways. You can have yarn based performance where performance is engineered into the yarn, or you can have performance, you know, created by an added finish or, or chemistry added to the fabric that makes it repel and cleanable. So, you know, Ballard offers a great variety and range of products and performance is achieved both ways within that offering. So, you know, we sell a lot of Krypton home performance fabrics that are available at Ballard and into the market. And that product offers this broad variety of different yarn types and yarn options. So you can use natural fibers like cottons and linens and rayons and polyesters and then add this, you know, performance finish to the product that makes it repel liquids like your red wine or water or whatever it may be, it's going to roll off, it's going to help prevent the stain from happening in the first place. And then it also makes it cleanable with soap and water. So that's, you know, one application. And I also want to mention that the Queen's Velvet, that's been at Ballard for a number of years and a top seller, we've recently added new colors and introduced it as a performance velvet. And it's the same type of treatment or performance. So that's, that's one way to present and create performance. The other is really at the fiber level. So Sunbrella is a great brand, it's a great product. They utilize all solution dyed acrylic. And that yarn inherently offers great color fastness and is really great for fade resistance outdoor settings which you've used for a number of years. So there the color is added to the fabric, the performance is engineered into the fabric as it's being made and then a topical treatment or chemistry is added to the fabric so that it does the same things that the chemistry based performance that we talked about a little bit earlier does. It repels your liquids, it's cleanable with soap and water. But when the performance is engineered into the yarn, it Also makes it bleach cleanable and fade resistant and have some other properties as well. So it can be achieved a number of ways and then also starts to support maybe different lifestyles or different applications, depending on, you know, how it's created. So that's kind of a baseline of how each or maybe a little bit, you know, different or how they're made. And then you have, you know, inside out, which, you know, performance is complicated. And I'm in it. We're in it every single day. And, you know, what we saw at the point of sale as we work with your sellers and with designers is I've got all these brands and all these products and they all say performance, like, how do I get my customer or my designer like what they actually need? And it was confusing. So that was the genesis or the question that we asked. You know, how do we make a product that can, you know, offer the highest level of design and style and great color, but performance at the fiber level, it's never going to wash or wear away. It's going to be fade resistant, it's going to be bleach cleanable. But also kind of merge those two topics that we talked about earlier, and that's where inside out comes in. So it was the first all in one performance product that is engineered at the fiber level. It has this, you know, added treatment to make it resist and repel liquids, cleanable soap and water, or diluted bleach. But it's going to look and feel like a decorative, beautiful indoor fabric that you can sit on and live on every day without sacrifice or without concern that, you know, you're, you know, I've got two toddlers under four which are crazy, jumping up and down on, spilling their, their milk or eating on or whatever it may be, you know, or me most of the time. But, you know, something that you can feel really comfortable with. You're not making a, you know, a sacrifice and getting that chenille or that velvet or that linen look or that tweed. Your home can still be what you want it to be without, you know, without fear or concern that you're going to ruin it. So that was, that was kind of how we develop a product that's continued to evolve. But I think if you, and the ultimate test of that is when somebody walks into your store and you look at it and you feel it, we want them to fall in love first and then, oh, by the way, this is perfect for your kids or your pets or your busy or active lifestyle.
- [13:28]
A
Yeah, it seems like, you know, maybe Five, maybe even just a couple of years ago, the, the fabrics that were sort of treated after they were woven, those were the ones that maybe had like the patterns and the colors and something like you really wanted to use, but felt like, I can't really put this on a chair because it's in a high traffic area, you know, whatever. And the solution sort of yarn dyed was something like a little more simple, maybe more basics. Like, the good news is that that has really sort of blurred, right, because of what you're saying with inside out the. And, and others. The, the technology has just evolved so much that now you kind of have both. But it also makes it more complicated because you're like, everything, you know, has like the feel and the hand and the color and the, the pattern. But talk to us about the different sort of fibers. And what if we read that on a like, product page or something and it says, you know, 100% solution dyed polyester or acrylic. What does that mean? And maybe like, let's go through all the different ones so that people can understand, even if they're not looking at what it's called on a website or something, what the, the actual fiber name means, you know, like sort of those definitions, what they can expect from it. And, and like how, how you would clean each one.
- [15:02]
E
Maybe I will start with, you know, there are a lot of different types of fibers. And then, you know, once you get the fiber, you can use it as a filament, you could use it as a spun yarn, you can make it into a boucle or a chenille. So there are a lot of factors and variables within that, you know, however, you know, based on the general assortment. For home, you know, decor or upholstery fabrics, you've got polyester, you've got olefin or polypropylene, you've got rayon or viscose cotton and acrylic within your offering. So I'll touch on, you know, those mostly. And I will start by saying that, you know, every yarn has its positive attributes and its negative attributes. So we could get into a little bit of a rabbit hole. So pull me out if, if we start to get that way. But, you know, I'll start with, you know, synthetic yarns versus cellulosic or more natural fibers. You know, your, your synthetic yarns are polyester, polypropylene and acrylic. And generally, you know, polypropylene is your most value oriented yarn historically polypropylene, it's actually used a lot in carpets and rugs because it's inherently cleanable. It's inherently hydrophobic. It's going to repel, you know, liquids and moisture. But the aesthetic or the look in the hand is not necessarily as great as some other fibers. So, you know, that would be probably the drawback. It's got great performance, but the drawback is maybe it's not as decorative as what you may want. Want, you know, polyester, I think. And that's kind of a foundational yarn for our. Our platform is it's. It's really durable, can be really cleanable, especially when you add treatments to it. And it can look and feel more decorative, you know, than. Than some other fibers, especially with the evolution of just yarn and yarn technology. You know, acrylic's a great fiber. As I mentioned earlier, it's going to offer you the highest level of color f fade resistance, which is why acrylic has been used in outdoor settings and outdoor applications for years. And Sunbrella has done a great job in championing solution dyed acrylic because it's great for outdoor settings and awnings and umbrellas and things like that. But the drawback with acrylic is the more you sit on it, the more you use it. And this is true whether it's in a sweater or whether it's in your outdoor upholstery. It has a tendency to a propensity to pill or wear more sooner than maybe some other fibers. And I think historically that's always been okay because you don't sit on your outdoor furniture the same amount that you do your indoor furniture, which can be every single day, except maybe in some parts of the country. And, you know, one of these days, maybe I'll move to one of those places. But. So that's kind of the. The. The pros and cons with those. And then you've got, you know, cotton, which is just a great natural fiber, and then you've got rayon as well. Rayon offers a higher level of sheen. It's maybe a little bit more decorative, but it has a tendency to possibly, you know, water spot if you get spills on it. You know, cotton offers a great dry matte look and appearance, but again, not necessarily going to be as cleanable as maybe some other synthetic fiber. So I think the. As you work to achieve performance, like you're always trying to balance, it's got to be decorative, it's got to be beautiful, it's got to be at the right price, but it's also got to perform. So as you blend and marry these different fiber types and These different constructions to create these beautiful fabrics. You can't sacrifice that. It's going to be cleanable and it's going to be durable and it's going to meet the demands within the home. And that's really, you know, where I think we come in with our heritage and designing and developing products for the home for 100 years. Like it's this, this creative balance that our team has and expertise to create something that.
- [19:24]
F
This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Listening to this podcast. Smart move. Being financially savvy. Smart move. Another smart move. Having State Farm help you create a competitive price when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with the personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.
- [19:53]
E
You know, blends the best of all of these fibers while minimizing some of the negative.
- [19:58]
C
It's been so exciting to see the evolution of performance fabrics in our homes. And, you know, we're putting them on our upholstered pieces throughout our catalog and photography all the time just because they're so beautiful. And you know, there has been such an evolution of performance, really just being for outdoor and being a little bit tougher to the hand to what you provide with inside out, which has, you know, incredible cleanability and it's so remarkably soft. I think that's super exciting. And I have been blown away to find out that our Queen's velvet is performance. Not to the degree that an inside out is, because inside out is solution dyed. That color goes all the way through every single yarn. But it's it. Our velvet is now cleanable with soap and water.
- [21:06]
E
Correct.
- [21:07]
C
Okay, that's wild. So what is the best way to clean a velvet?
- [21:13]
E
Great question. And yes, I am super excited about Queen's Velvet and its kind of rebirth or relaunch at Ballard. I mean, it's been such a great seller, but now to be able to tout it as performance and add it in 18 colors and now it's available in finished products and pillows and window treatments like it is a go to staple item. And you know, it's great for so many applications and so many customers as long as you don't need the fade resistance or the bleach clean ability. So super, super excited about, about that and thank you for using it so much throughout your catalog. We obviously love to, to see that. But the way to clean a velvet so velvets and other, even chenille fabrics are pile fabrics. So, you know, as you rub your hand one way and then rub it the other, you know, the pile will orient with how you're rubbing the fabric, right? So it can look like it's, you know, shaded or, you know, different coloration. So it's really important to, to clean it in the same, the same direction, if you will, so that the pile's going in, you know, the, the right way. But, but generally, I would say the first thing with cleaning any fabric, not just velvet, is like, don't panic, don't overreact. Don't go get, you know, the tire brush and use a bunch of elbow grease and try to get it out. I think the best thing for anybody to do is to take a, take a deep breath, relax like it is a decorative, beautiful fabric first. And oh, by the way, it's cleanable. So I think if you go and you get just a simple, you know, rag or paper towel, just blot first to try to remove the stain, get any excess dirt or excess spill off of it, because if you don't, you're going to push it into the fabric. So I would remove any excess first. You can, you can vacuum and to try to get any dirt off of that as well. And then I would just start with water, just a simple, you know, water bottle, misting bottle, spray it lightly, blot again. The worst thing you can do is feel like the harder you scrub, the better it's going to be because you can wear a hole in the fabric. It doesn't matter what performance product we're talking about. None of them are indestructible. So you can rub a hole in the fabric and ruin any fabric. But, you know, I would start with just water, simply blot, simply rub again in the same direction. And I would go full cushion to cushion. Because if you just clean a simple spot, a single spot, you might get that really clean, but the rest of the cushion, it's going to collect dust and dirt over time anyway. You know, it's, it's funny. We, we talk when we do these presentations. Like, these fabrics are really great and they're really beautiful and they're everything that you said earlier, which was, which was awesome. But they're not self cleaning. Like, we're not to that point yet. Innovation and technology is coming AI something might figure that out, but we are not there today. So I think it's to clean, you know, the entire cushion and to just be gentle with it. And if that doesn't come out I would move to simple soap and water, but I would also just encourage and remind people that you don't need more soap than necessary. So we've got really dedicated cleaning instructions that we provided. It's on the website. I would defer and default to those. Spray it, get it off, but then always remember to rinse afterward because you've got to get the soap out. Soap attracts dirt. So while you might get it clean today, if you don't rinse and get the soap out of it, you're potentially creating a bigger problem down the road that's going to be even harder to clean. And then one other tip, if you will, is try to do it when it happens. You know, in my kids, they do something, we flip the cushion, you come back a month later, it's going to be really hard to get it out because it's been allowed to set in there. So I think the quicker you can get to it and you know, the, the, the more just, just frequent upkeep and treatment you can, you can do the, the better your investment's going to be protected for the long term.
- [25:33]
C
Is there a soap that you recommend? Because not all soaps are made equally as well.
- [25:38]
E
That's very true. Yeah. I would use powder detergent. I don't have a, a brand favorite. My wife might, but I think everybody has things that, that they prefer. But a powdered detergent is going to work better than a liquid detergent. And again, put that in your water, your, your bottle, mix it thoroughly and then, and then spray. But you know, we usually use like a Tide or a Dawn or just, just standard, you know, over the counter brands and, and so, or detergent.
- [26:12]
A
Can I tell you how I, this is like my, my process and I want you to pick it apart for me and tell me if I'm doing it wrong. But I will say okay. It almost always works for me. But okay, I put one squirt of Blue dawn in a cup, fill the cup with water. It has to be Blue dawn, by the way. Fill the cup with water. And then I use a little toothbrush, blot first scrub it with the Blue dawn on the toothbrush lightly. And then I blot it up again. And then I rinse it with a clean cup of water, lightly brush again with a toothbrush. And that is my system and I feel like it works very reliably. But I'm curious what you think about that.
- [26:54]
E
I think you are a pro. If this whole podcast thing doesn't work out, then we're gonna call you for Any customer training, but no, that's, that's exactly it. You know, some stains are going to need to be agitated. You know, generally you could use like a fingernail, but I think, I think a toothbrush, a soft bristle toothbrush is absolutely great. It's going to agitate. It's going to get the soap in there. And then rinsing with, with clean water is, is the right way to go. And if it's working for you, then, then, then that's, that's good enough.
- [27:29]
A
Well, you know, we, we don't want to recommend something that I know sometimes even kare bleach, but I don't know if I should say that. So anyway, you can use bleach, but.
- [27:43]
E
It'S got to be on the right fibers and the right, the right fabrics. You know, not all performance products are engineered and created the same way. So she can. On the right fabric.
- [27:53]
A
You know what? I don't want to use bleach anywhere that, like, it's too risky. Even if it's on your performance fabrics. What if it, like, you know.
- [28:03]
E
Like.
- [28:03]
A
Drips onto something else? Like, I just. No, okay. You said something before about self cleaning, though, and I think that is such an important point because people think, oh, it's performance fabrics. That means I can pick white. And I just, okay, I've made this mistake myself, so I feel like I can talk about it, but you can pick white because you can get the stains out. But to your point, you are still going to have to get the stains out and clean it a lot. So talk to us about maybe how, how we might shop for the right fabric in addition to just the performance option options, but also, like, what are the colors? Should we pick a pattern? Do we need a texture? Those kind of other factors about fabrics that will help. Maybe not necessarily that they have different, like, fabric qualities in terms of, like, the cleanability. They're all performance, but the way they might mask stains and, and, you know, wear and tear.
- [29:16]
E
It's a good question, and you're absolutely right. You can buy white. However, the likelihood that you're going to need to provide a little bit higher level of upkeep to keep it clean and looking crisp. White is greater than if you buy something that isn't white or that is more melanged or multicolored or it has more ability to hide some sins, we'll say. But I think as we create and develop product, we develop them all to meet certain thresholds and standards for performance. So within the inside out offering at Ballard, you've got a velvet and you've got a tweed and you've got a boucle and you've got a chenille and you've got a linen look. So the customer can select any type of product that speaks to them with the expectation that performance is going to be the same or comparable. So it's not necessarily that this fabric's going to do better or be more cleanable, but I think as you get into color, anytime that you can have things that are a little bit more multi, I think they're going to hide the need to be cleaned as, as frequently as something that's very stark, one color, clean, crisp and especially white. You know, one question that we get a lot as it relates to application or what a customer should, should use is with pets. And everybody loves their pets, you know, my family included. And, you know, they are like, they're additional children from, for some people, which is great. But as they get on furniture and live on furniture, there are certain fabrics that are better than others. You know, some boucle's with big loops or open weave fabrics, you know, paws can get in there as they start scratching and that can create some, you know, some challenges or some issues with fabric. So, you know, really tight, woven multicolored fabrics. You know, the velvet is a great option within your assortment, but things that really can't be, I'll say, picked as easily. There's no like pet proof fabric either, but I would generally just say that the more tightly woven multicolor product is going to help hide some sin, so to speak. More so than, than a, than a stark option.
- [31:43]
C
Okay, so nothing is cat proof.
- [31:46]
E
Yeah, not. I hadn't found it yet. We're working on it though.
- [31:51]
C
All right, let me know when that happens.
- [31:53]
E
I will do my best.
- [31:55]
C
How often should we be cleaning our upholstery?
- [31:58]
E
That's a good question. I mean, I think it's going to vary probably household to household, but I would generally say, like, it's good general maintenance, you know, every month or a couple of months to, you know, get a, get a vacuum and you know, flip the cushions, do the normal types of things to keep it looking and feeling, you know, clean and fresh and, you know, performance fabric and, you know, high end, you know, beautiful furniture is no different than any other investment that you make or any other, you know, nice product that you purchase. The better that you take care of something, the longer it's, it's going to last. So, you know, I think monthly or every couple months, it's great to vacuum you can even, you know, steam clean product as well to keep it looking newer and fresher for longer. Again, not required for everyday spills and like household messes, but just for the general maintenance to keep it looking clean.
- [32:59]
A
And fresh every month. That's a lot.
- [33:03]
E
I mean, I don't, I think, look, flipping the cushions, vacuuming, I mean, I think that's pretty standard. You don't need to steam clean it every month. That's probably more like a. An annual thing.
- [33:16]
A
That's a lot.
- [33:16]
C
Okay. I can get behind steam cleaning annually. But yeah, vacuuming. Vacuuming is pretty important, especially if you do have beds.
- [33:25]
B
My problem is the. I have a arm that just always like I cannot get it clean even in a performance. What would you do for like something tight like that? Because I do love a cushion because I can flip it. But like the arm, there's nothing I can do on an upholstery.
- [33:40]
E
Yeah, you are. It is what it is on, on the arm. Right. That is probably the most challenging spot because there's nowhere to hide.
- [33:50]
B
But I need those to come back in style. The like arm covers, arm caps.
- [33:57]
E
We could get you a really nice blanket. Perfect. Yeah. No, look, I think general cleaning still applies there. And then any, you know, specific. Depending on what the product is. I would go, you know, for the most stubborn stain, if it can be cleaned with diluted bleach, even though you might not want to do that. Just take all the precautions necessary to, to try to make sure it doesn't get on your rug or whatever else. But that would be the, the best option.
- [34:25]
A
Yeah, I always find that it's the, it's not necessarily like the one stain like the coffee spill that's the hardest. It's just the sort of daily grime that is a slight discoloration. You know what I mean? Like it just. Well, it's like on the arm. On your, on the arm of your sofa where it's not like there's a big brown spot. That's just a little spot. It's just sort of like the whole thing becomes. Starts to get like, you know, and. Yeah. Dingy. And there's not like a start in the end to the, to the stain. It's just sort of like gradual.
- [35:02]
B
Yeah. Which the yearly part is good. Like to somehow, you know, maintenance wise, like force yourself again to put that on your list of things you upkeep. Because like you said, like all things we do have to take care of it. And usually these pieces we use often and much to an abusive level.
- [35:19]
E
Yeah, yeah. Well, look, just part of your general spring cleaning ritual, you can add the SOPA in into that and that, that look that holds true for performance or non performance products. Yeah. So I think that, you know, we, a lot of the comments we get back sometimes is we'll get a picture and they're like, hey, it's dirty, but it's got one like really clean spot on it. It's like, well, so they, it does clean. They did clean it in a spot, but they didn't clean, you know, the entire cushion. So it's just education and also creating and level setting an appropriate expectation for the customer that yes, it's performance, yes, it's going to allow for you to clean a spill and a stain if and when it happens, if you have an active lifestyle and it is the best thing available right now. But again, it's not bulletproof and it's not going to be the end all, be all. And you can still ruin it if your lifestyle suggests and supports that.
- [36:22]
A
Talk to us about beading and like the sort of, I guess like repellent qualities of it. You know, I think we've all kind of seen some of the, you know, like videos or things where you'll like see someone spill some red wine and it just beads up and like rolls off the fabric and doesn't even stain. And I have noticed that this isn't maybe necessarily a permanent quality like that sort of wears off over time, but maybe this is user error. So talk me through the beating and like what we kind of expect from that.
- [37:00]
E
It's not necessarily user error or anything like that. And there are a lot of variables involved, like a lot of things. But you know, generally speaking, all the performance fabrics at Ballard, whether it's Krypton or Inside out or Sunbrella, offer, you know, the beading or liquid repellency. But you know, a lot of the videos that you see around performance marketing, you know, it's, it's spilled, you know, right here in front of it. It's right close to the cushion and it's going to be and it's going to go somewhere that creates maybe a different problem. It's not going to sink into your sofa, but it's going to go somewhere, whether that's into your pants leg or onto the living room rug. Like, it can create other issues, but, but it's great because it helps prevent the stain from, from happening in the first place, so to speak. However, you know, if you were to spill it from 5 or 10ft, like the, the, the force of that spill can break the surface tension, and it may not repel the exact same way that it does. It's sitting on your lap and just tips over. So it can perform a little bit differently there. And then, you know, with any liquid repellency, the more that you clean it, the more it's going to degrade and break down that, that repellency treatment over time. Also, if the fabric is. Is wet and you spill liquid onto that, that area, it's going to soak in. It's not going to repel anything. So, you know, it's important that it. It dries before it kind of comes back to life. But over time, it's. It's not going to do the exact same thing. And, and that's, again, why we think it's so important, you know, as a selling feature for inside Out. Like, performance is not just in the repellency. It's engineered into the fiber. It's going to be there for the life of the product. So. But that's hopefully an appropriate answer for the. The beating. But it is important we do testing, you know, in the lab to, to what we. And qualify a product with a spray rating to say that it does repel liquids to a certain degree or certain level. That makes it, you know, that meets the standard for performance for this product. But again, you know, throwing wine at something versus tipping it over is gonna. You're gonna have two completely different reactions and maybe two different degrees of mess.
- [39:24]
A
Obviously, those videos are very compelling, right? Because you're like, oh, this is great. It's gonna solve all my problems. But. And so that's. But that makes sense what you're saying. And, and with the, like, if the fabric is already wet, I have noticed that as well.
- [39:42]
B
Oh, yeah.
- [39:42]
A
There have been times where we on, say, a photo shoot will intentionally spill something, and then we've got to clean it and then spill it again because, you know, we're doing a video and it takes multiple takes. And like, like, as you go on, it's harder and harder to get out because it's already wet, which is not a real life, you know, situation, but it is just something that I've noticed.
- [40:06]
G
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- [40:22]
A
Talk to us about, you know, I know that your team is always developing new fabrics, colors, patterns. You mentioned that before that there's been a lot of evolution in the technology. What sort of things are y' all seeing on the horizon in terms of, you know, colors, tones, neutrals, people are looking at even patterns that you feel like are, are emerging and more in demand.
- [40:53]
E
So we, you know, we're always focused on new yarn development. You know, over the last however many years it's been, the world has gone, you know, a lot more solid, if you will, solid textures and you know, boucle textures and multicolor textures. Like we were selling so, so much more of that and it's, it's harder to differentiate a texture without new yarns. So we've bought a lot of new yarn equipment from across the world that we've installed here in North Carolina to be able to make new boucle's and new twisted yarns and new new types of things that we're unveiling actually this later this month with these inside out performance characteristics to keep them looking fresh and on trend and on demand. And that gives us, you know, honestly a little bit of a competitive advantage because we're not buying yarn from somebody that's selling it to a lot of different people. We're developing it with these performance standards in mind and with, you know, our design teams create at our design teams creative direction. So, you know, look, I think in addition to solid and textural, like soft is what everybody wants, right? The world is, is very. Everybody puts their hand on. It's the first thing they, they see and feel even when they're buying a piece of furniture is the fabric. So it's got to be soft. It's got to be something that people are confident they can live on and that they're going to love. So, you know, investments in softening equipment and also making yarn a little bit more aesthetically pleasing is always the goal. And, but in terms of color and pattern, we certainly see coming back, you know, color things are warming up. Certainly, you know, we're doing a lot in the camels and the okras and even into terracottas now, getting a lot of requests for that. We started to sell green really well the last couple of years and, and added a number of inside out fabric with Ballard in that, that family. But you know, where we're going is in addition to these new yarns is we're bringing back our old multicolored like tapestry qualities that everybody is just is they're freaking out about. So our sales team and our customers are Excited because, you know, we have this 75 year archive of all the patterns we've designed and developed. And to be honest, we used to run our mill on like tapestry warps that have five and six colors in them so you can get a lot of multicolor. And these old traditional tapestry like looks and designs we're bringing back, but in these new performance qualities that are so in demand. So I think blending and marrying like these, these archival type patterns, but developing them into modern day constructions with performance, we think is going to be a home run and something that people are really going to respond well to. So we're moving in that direction in addition to a lot of other things. But you know, we're always trying to move, move forward and, and stay on the forefront of design and style and trend. And we've got a phenomenal team that, that, that really has our finger on the balls. So I'm, I'm, I'm fortunate just to be, to be the sales guy.
- [44:20]
A
I, you know, we shot some videos at Yalls factory a year ago maybe and I got to see you have a literal archive. I mean it's truly like a library. So that was really cool because there were, you know, some older fabrics and you could kind of see the colors. So that's a really interesting part of the business. Yeah, I, you know, we've obviously been seeing color and it's, it's exciting to see all those multicolored fabrics because you know, from a decorating standpoint, having a fabric with a couple different colors in it is much more, I suppose it's a better jumping off point for a room because, and it gives you a little bit more of a timeless quality because color is so timestamped. I think we can all think of like certain decades have colors where you're just like, you see that color and you're like avocado. I know where that came from. You know, like that dusty powder blue 80s. So having a fabric with a couple different colors that, you know, maybe this year you're doing corn flour and that's like what you're really into. But five, ten years from now you could pull the green or the pink or the red out of it and go in a different direction, it kind of adds you, gives you a little bit more of a versatility. So I always think that that's. And it's hard to find really good multicolored patterns. So that's exciting to me.
- [45:49]
E
Yeah, well, the more of a chameleon it can be, the better it can live with a number of different things. Obviously, it's. It's easier to replace, you know, your pillows and accessories and other things than it is, you know, the. The sofa that you've made an investment in.
- [46:04]
A
It's such an important thing to talk about in terms of performance fabrics and the color and the patterns that you're using, especially on your big furniture. Because I feel like a lot of times when someone's shopping for a new sofa, they're focused on what's the shape, what's the size, what's the cost, when really, to me, the fabric is going to be the most important element in terms of how long it lives in your home and the actual, like, lifespan. Because if it doesn't have a certain. A really durable fabric, you're going to want to get rid of it. It's not going to look good. So the fabric should almost be, like, the first thing you decide. Right. Like, it's so important.
- [46:43]
E
I certainly think so. The quality and the guts of a piece of furniture, you never see. Right. You only know if, you know if the. The sofa's bottoming out or the cushion's not working like that, there's a problem. But you touch and you feel, and the first thing people see when they walk in is the fabric. So we take a lot of pride in that, knowing that that's what somebody's, you know, gravitating toward, that's what they're going to fall in love with, and then they're going to cover whatever piece of furniture that. That they want for their home, you know, from that. So, yeah, that's, I think, what continues to drive our design and creative team to make sure that we are developing appropriate things that people would want to put in their home and that are going to stand the test of time and protect their investment. So that anytime somebody at Ballard sees, you know, one of our branded products, they can have the confidence to know that it's gonna do what we say it's gonna do, it's gonna meet their expectations, and it can be something that they love. And then hopefully, in five or 10 years or whatever it may be, when the lifecycle of that product, you know, worn out, they'll come back and they'll do it again because they had a great experience.
- [47:47]
A
Yeah, I just, you know, just not having the fabric be an afterthought and making it sort of a primary focus.
- [47:57]
B
Is.
- [47:57]
A
Is important for all the reasons that you just said. So I'm so glad that you kind of were able to walk us through the different, you know, elements of like what, what you're seeing with the fabric, makeup and all that.
- [48:13]
B
And I, I just love the talk about colors and the archival because as somebody who's in our kind of more creative area of Ballard, you know, I'm always looking for the new kind of patterns and trends. And I know trend's such a yucky word these days, but, you know, there are these things we gravitate towards and look forward to. And like you said, just the patterns on upholstery bring so much light to a space. So it is fun to see kind of that area grow while also being the person who owns two off white sofas. So I, I know the, it's real, but I now have used one of your, the Queen's velvet on some chairs and it's just gorgeous. So I've been so grateful for your product and the fact that I can clean it makes me so, so happy in all cases now. I just kind of, I don't even mind when people come over and I love that for myself that I don't stress about it. So I'm sure you all feel the exact same way too. Or when the kid meanders from the kitchen where they're not supposed to with food in hand and you're like, well, nope, nope. Oh, yeah.
- [49:25]
E
Regardless of how many times you tell them it'll, it'll happen again. But I'm glad we could help relieve some of that, that stress from your.
- [49:32]
B
Life while also layering a home so easily too. You've made it with all your different textures. It really, you know, inside out and everything has really made it important to adding that level of texture that we sit on here day after day and talk to designers about. So we're so grateful for it.
- [49:52]
E
Yeah, well, and look, I'll say, you know, I don't think anybody does it quite like, like Ballard, you know, we have 60 different inside out fabrics that are available in your stores. And it's not just solids and textures. You do that really well, but coordinates and stripes and beautiful feature patterns. To be able to layer a room in and around performance, I think, is to a scale and to a degree that, that no other retailer can offer. So I think that's been a part of our success together is being this, having this critical mass of product in these broad range of designs and styles and colors that are uniquely Ballard is something really special and something that we, you know, we work to continue to add to every season with Carmen and your team.
- [50:42]
A
Yeah, you know, we just, it's like, it's not good enough. To have 10 options for your sofa, you need 300. You like. We gotta have options.
- [50:51]
E
I agree.
- [50:53]
A
You can't just have five pairs of shoes in your closet. You gotta have 50.
- [50:57]
E
Between cleaning and adding more inside out product at balance, I think you and I get along a little bit.
- [51:04]
A
I feel like we've covered it all.
- [51:07]
B
Yeah. We talked about maintenance, cleaning patterns, style, durability.
- [51:14]
C
Yeah.
- [51:14]
B
Science behind it, what to look for, what to buy.
- [51:19]
A
Yeah, well, I think that we did. We did talk about maybe having you back in the spring when we can talk about some more of a color conversation, fabric trends, that kind of thing, and, or maybe having some. One from. From the inside OWL design team. So that will be really fun. So we'll look forward to that next spring. But thank you for getting on here and chatting with us all about sort of the science and the construction and all that good stuff, because it's really important and I know our listeners are always asking questions, so we can just send them to this episode and they can, you know, figure out exactly what they're looking for and what they need and all that good stuff.
- [52:01]
B
And to utilize your website too, because it sounds like you guys have some good information on there too. If, if the wine does get chucked across the room, which I would like to be invited to that party if that's the case as well. So, come on, we'll have a.
- [52:14]
E
We'll have a bash. But, you know, Ballard's also done a great job of incorporating video and cleaning and other information onto your site. So I think you can keep people there as much as you like. We certainly have a website that is a great additional resource for some more information, some more FAQs and things like that. But the Ballard website, I think is really well done and offers a lot of that same information.
- [52:41]
A
Amazing. Patrick, thank you so much. Can you tell everyone where they can find you, follow you and find inside out performance fabrics?
- [52:50]
E
You can find 60 + inside out performance fabrics at Ballard Designs in store and online. And then if you're looking for anything else or have any additional questions, InsideOutPerformanceFabrics.com and you can follow us at InsideOutPerformanceFabrics. But we're excited to be a resource for you through Ballard and look forward to hopefully talking again in a couple months. But I'll bring my counterpart and my, my, our design team to talk through trend and pattern and styling. They certainly would run circles around me in that regard.
- [53:29]
B
I love it.
- [53:29]
A
Yep. Thank you so much. That's our show and that's our show. You can find all of the show notes on our blog howtodecorate.com podcast to.
- [53:40]
B
Send in a decorating dilemma, email your questions to podcastallarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space.
- [53:46]
A
And of course, be sure to follow us on social media at ballardesigns.
- [53:49]
C
Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. And please leave us a review. We'd love to hear your feedback.
- [53:56]
A
Until next time, happy decorating.