Sneak peek! Our workroom is already gearing up for outdoor fabrics over here!

Although we’re not exactly sipping sweet tea on our porches yet, this is the time of year when we get the most orders in outdoor fabrics…  cushions, furniture covers, you name it.

Gotta love the South for their forward planning. 😉

I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about the benefits of outdoor fabrics — and why some are even making appearances inside our homes, too.

So cheerful and inviting! And won’t fade by next year. 😉

 

3 Best Benefits of Choosing Outdoor Fabrics

Birmingham gets sun and we certainly get humidity. So when we have cushions outdoors, we ask a lot of them!

Here’s what outdoor performance fabrics can do for you…

1. Waterproof material protects the cushions from mildew and unpleasant smells
2. Special fabric treatment keeps colors from fading under the hot sun
3. Super easy to clean with soapy water (or even bleach in some cases)

That’s only three benefits, but let me tell ya, those are the only three you’ll need!

 

‘Bama red… not just during football season!

 

Best Fabric & Foam Options for Outdoor Cushions in Birmingham, AL

The most important thing to consider when selecting outdoor cushions is the fabric and the foam…

1. FABRIC

Although there are a lot of outdoor fabric options, unless they are 100% acrylic-dyed solution fabrics, don’t expect them to last.

I love this analogy…

The best outdoor fabrics are like a carrot. When you cut a carrot it is orange all the way through.

By contrast, if you choose a cheap printed outdoor fabric, it is like a radish. When you cut a radish, it is red on top and white in the middle. These printed outdoor fabrics may last a year and then fade beyond recognition.

The fabrics we recommend and use the most are Sunbrella and Outdura.

 

Back cushions, seat cushions, throw pillows — it can all be done!

Pro Tip: You can get Sunbrella fabrics in almost everything now, and this makes them perfect indoors too. I actually found some in velvet for a lake home recently!

If you have an indoor area that gets a lot of sun, Sunbrella fabrics are perfect for preventing fading.

 

2. FOAM

The other thing to think about when selecting or ordering outdoor cushions is foam.

There is an outdoor foam called Dryfast. It has larger holes and it dries faster (versus regular foam that holds water like a sponge).

If you bring us a pillow to revamp, we’ll try to keep as much of the foam. As a petroleum-based product, foam isn’t cheap.

 

 

Last professional tip before I head back to the workroom…

I don’t recommend cording for your outdoor cushions.

Yes, cording is a beautiful accent on pillows, but when you put these outdoors, they end up holding pollen between the cushion and cord! That’s no good.

Alright, off I go for now! Follow us on Facebook to watch our daily videos, check back here next month… and if you need some outdoor pillows this spring or summer, talk to us now!

Take care y’all,
Sheri