TORONTO — May 13, 2021 — Allseating is pleased to announce today the launch of Engadin, a proprietary textile collection designed by Milan, Italy-born architect and designer, and President of EFM Design, Emanuela Frattini Magnusson. Engadin features three patterns; Dots, Grid and Bauhaus, which are all based on geometric shapes, a linear grid, a loose dot pattern and rectilinear color fields.

Engadin received its namesake from Frattini Magnusson’s explorations through the long high Alpine valley region in the eastern Swiss Alps, as she derives a majority of her design inspiration from her travels. The colorways capture a dynamic mix of greys, greens and aquas, yellow and red, which are reminiscent of summers Frattini Magnusson spent in Sils Maria in the Engadin. The granite of the mountains, the blue and green of the lakes, the yellow of the larch trees in the fall, and the red that shows up everywhere in Swiss signage, brought the entire collection together.

“It has been an honor working in tandem with Allseating on this collaboration,” says Frattini Magnusson. “It was an adventure getting to relive my travels while brainstorming with their team from an aesthetic perspective for Engadin — I really wanted to create patterns that would be complementary, yet distinctive for the brand’s products.”

The three patterns, Dots, Grid and Bauhaus, are different in nature and scale, and can stand on their own or coexist. The same approach is true for the respective colorways, as it was Frattini Magnusson’s goal to obtain a balance between an expected foundation of neutrals and a fresh clarity of harmonious colors. Each pattern has different “color balances,” which means that applying the same colorway to the three types of patterns results in three very different outcomes — however, there is a common thread that pulls them all together. The Dots pattern is more playful, freehand, and softens the rigor of the other two, whereas Bauhaus, depending on which colorway is chosen, can be very decorative and bold. Grid, in the same colorway, is more subtle and offers a balance.

The line’s durability (medical grade vinyl), antimicrobial properties (which maintains a soft touch), and competitive price point are standout features for Engadin compared to other proprietary textile collections on the contract market. As these were the guiding principles that delineated the boundaries for the product development process. For additional information please visit www.allseating.com or contact your local Allseating representative.

Posted May 17, 2021

Source: ALLSEATING

ATLANTA— April 28, 2021 — Today, Chemical Insights, an Institute of Underwriters Laboratories, in conjunction with the Sustainable Furnishings Council, released a toolkit designed to help interior designers specify and select residential upholstered furniture that reduces exposure to flame retardant chemicals. The toolkit, based on the recently released UL 118F Guidance Document, is a set of actionable guidelines that follows years of Chemical Insights’ research into human exposure to flame retardant chemicals as well as processes for reducing furniture flammability and residential fire hazards.

As a result of the greater use of man-made materials and open-floor plans, residential fires in the U.S. burn faster than ever. According to Underwriters Laboratories’ research, residents, who once had 17 minutes to evacuate burning homes 30 years ago, now only have three minutes to get to safety.

Residential upholstered furniture contributes to the intensity of these fires, leading to the addition of flame retardant chemicals in furniture. However, many flame retardants used in residential upholstered furniture have been found by researchers to be carcinogenic or associated with adverse human developmental effects like thyroid disruption, delayed mental and physical development, obesity, advanced puberty, reduced fertility and decreased lung function.

Chemical Insights’ new toolkit covers the role of residential upholstered furniture in fires, health concerns with flame retardants, risk assessment procedures, understanding flammability standards, and the benefits of using a fire barrier, a protective layer designed to prevent or delay ignition of cushioning material. “The use of a fire barrier in furniture simultaneously eliminates the need for flame retardants while providing greater flammability protection for furniture,” noted Dr. Marilyn Black, VP and Senior Technical Advisor with Chemical Insights.

To develop the toolkit, Chemical Insights led research, discussions, and reviews in collaboration with an expert volunteer group, known as the Furniture Flammability and Human Health Taskforce, consisting of public health advocates, environmentalists, designers, fire experts, chemical and furniture material suppliers, and chemical exposure experts. The taskforce helped outline actionable steps that can be used to design and specify residential upholstered furniture with both reduced chemical exposure risks and flammability hazards.

“We are prioritizing furniture flammability education and awareness among interior designers, as they play a key role in specifying and choosing residential upholstered furniture for consumers,” said Dr. Black. “Through a greater understanding of fire and chemical safety considerations involving residential upholstered furniture, interior designers can address their clients’ sustainability, health, safety and welfare goals when designing a space and help protect indoor environments, and consumers, long-term.”

Chemical Insights remains dedicated to researching and informing the public about the presence and effects of residential fires and the use of flame retardants in upholstered furniture and other consumer products.

Posted May 17, 2021

Source: Chemical Insights

HUDSON, N.C.— May 12, 2021 — Top designers, Vicky Serany from Southern Studio Interior Design in North Carolina, Lisa Kahn from Lisa Kahn Designs in Florida and Jeanne Chung from Cozy Stylish Chic in California are sharing the imaginative ways that they use Outdura fabrics to brighten up their projects. Their visions boards will be on display in the High Point Sattler Outdura showroom, Market Square #505, during the Showtime Market, May 16-18.

“We enjoy having designers use Outdura performance fabrics and would like to thank these very talented leaders for sharing their creative visions with us,” commented Uli Tombuelt, Sattler/Outdura CEO and director of sales casual furniture division. “It was interesting to see how designers from three distinctly different areas of the country uniquely applied our fabrics to their lifestyle projects. We believe the design boards will serve as be an inspiration to others, giving manufacturers, retailers and our designer clients a fresh sense of how Outdura fabrics can be creatively employed.”

Vicky Serany, owner of Southern Studio Interior Design in Cary, N.C., designed her board with the help of Annie Gray Holt, a junior designer at Southern Studio, around the outdoor theme “Sand and Sea.” They chose this idea because it coincides with many of the coastal projects that they work on. According to Serany, “We used the timeless classic “Sand and Sea” color scheme of blues from the sea and neutrals from the sand but gave it a fresh perspective with unique accessories and furnishings. Since summer days are spent with friends and family on the coast, we incorporated seaside tabletop accessories, a warm throw for chilly evenings and durable materials to handle the salt air. Outdura’s performance fabrics are our go-to favorites for families. Their amazing combination of patterns, textures and colors are a dream for designers.”

Naples, Fla.-based designer Lisa Kahn, CEO of Lisa Kahn Designs, opted for “Sanctuary” as the theme for her Outdura vision board. “My goal was to create a tranquil place to snuggle with your dog, to paint, to read a book, or just relax,” Kahn shared. “I opted for the luscious blue, green and white Outdura fabrics as my color palette because they blend well with the colors most easily found in the natural world. They are so perfect to create a welcoming refuge to promote healing, peace, and wellbeing. Another big plus in using Outdura indoor/outdoor fabrics is that they are so cleanable and durable which makes them ideal for indoor use as well.”

“Modern Oasis”, the theme chosen by Jeanne Chung, owner of Cozy Stylish Chic in Pasadena, Calif., utilizes a neutral color palette with a concentration on solid and textured fabrics contrasted with bold pattern.  Chung stated that “The Outdura fabric selections were used to convey a calm, tranquil, zen-like oasis for this outdoor pool area and cabana.  Catering to the sophisticated millennial client, our vision is to create a modern and luxurious outdoor space – an extension of the home, complete with dining area and outdoor kitchen that incorporates modern lines with natural materials, crystal clear water, and lush tropical landscaping often seen in today’s high end hotel pool areas in the tropics. The Outdura fabric selections made this extremely easy to achieve.”

Sattler Outdura is known in the industry for its award-winning superior quality, solution-dyed acrylic woven outdoor fabrics made in the historic Hudson Cotton Mill in Hudson, N.C. Perfect for use outdoors or in, their fabrics have color pigments that penetrate through the fiber, not just on the surface. They are not only UV fade resistant after 1500 hours of testing but also stain, water, mold, and mildew resistant. Cleaning is a breeze with soap and water or a bleach solution for stubborn stains.

Posted May 17, 2021

Source: Sattler AG

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — May 14, 2021 — To generate additional business for tablecloth restaurants on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9, a 2-week TRSA social media and remarketing campaign aimed at consumers fulfilled its mission to support these linen service customers. Web analytics showed high viewership of the campaign video and TRSA member linen, uniform and facility services operators reported increased demand from restaurants for the celebration.

“From Alsco Uniforms’ operations perspective, we saw an uptick in restaurant business, especially restaurants that use table linen,” reported Ben Fox, sales and marketing director of this Salt Lake City-based company, the nation’s largest restaurant linen service. Because Mother’s Day weekend is usually the busiest time of year for restaurants, peak demand for hygienically clean reusable textiles such as napkins and tablecloths puts linen service laundry processing and delivery into overdrive.

“Fine dining definitely had a break-through weekend. In talking with our national customers, they were booked solid throughout the day,” he observed.

Alsco personnel in locations across the United States began working with the company’s purchasing team as early as February to ensure proper inventory and encouraged customers to place orders early. COVID-19 was a factor. “We had to be very strategic as markets started reopening and having increased demand on inventory on top of the increased demand for Mother’s Day,” Fox said. “By all signs that extra communication helped us meet the inventory needs of all of our customers for the entire weekend.”

Launched April 28 and run through Mother’s Day, the campaign was a landmark TRSA effort to reach linen, uniform and facility services customers. “This is the most engaging video we’ve run ads for in the industry,” said Jeff Wile, owner, Infinite Laundry, Coral Springs, FL, which has placed internet campaigns for TRSA and industry operators for a decade.

The TRSA video and campaign targeted typical fine-dining customers with remarketing ads on the Google AdWords platform. A female narrator reads the video script, saying, “This Mother’s Day, give mom the gift she really wants…the gift of sitting down for a fine dining experience with delicious food surrounded by loved ones. There is nothing quite like the ambience of the white table linen experience on Mother’s Day. Call and make your reservations today!”

The video ads were shown 39,648 times on Google’s YouTube platform and 44% (17,445) of the users who received the ad watched the 30-second video to its completion. Facebook/Instagram plays hit nearly 6,000 video views with 7,969 ad impressions.

Such high level video engagement testifies to the quality of the video content and the custom audience used to target the ads. “Most other YouTube campaigns are in the 15% to 35% range depending on length, content, audience and other factors,” Wile added.  TRSA members’ dedication to sharing the content on their own social media channels also contributed to the campaign’s success.

Mother’s Day and the day before are the two busiest restaurant spending days of the year, according to Womply, a software and data firm that works with credit card processors to collect data for 4 million small businesses across the United States. The day before produces a restaurant industry revenue bump greater than the day itself: typically 62% more (compared with 60%), making it the biggest day of the year overall. But the 60% increase on Mother’s Day, making it the No. 2 day of the year, is “a particularly impressive feat,” Womply says, as 17% fewer restaurants are open for business that day.

Another signal of a strong Mother’s Day: linen services are swamped with restaurants’ last-minute requests for inventory or special items. “No matter how much you encourage customers to order extra, sometimes even they get surprised with last minute bookings. Our operations teams were on standby all weekend to ensure specials could be handled in a timely manner,” Fox said.

Posted May 17, 2021

Source: TRSA