When it comes to specifying contract fabric, few would
argue that visual impact should come anywhere other
than top of the agenda, but functionality ought to
come a very much closer second than it often does. So
claims contract fabric manufacturer, Skopos Design
WHY TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE
Limited, which has recently launched an advertising
campaign with the strapline, ‘The Experts’.
IS AS CRUCIAL AS DESIGN
e askW ed Skopos managing director, Sue Spurgeon
why this was an issue which concerned her so much.
“Visual impact is of course immediately apparent manufacturer with over 30 years experience, we different wash temperatures can lead to disaster
and given the vast choice of upholstery and are in the virtually unique position of designing as different levels of shrinkage start to occur. At
drapery fabric available, interior specifiers should and engineering products that will meet UK Skopos all our fabrics are subjected to routine
have no problem in achieving pretty much any and international contract standards and our wash tests so we know exactly how they will
effect they desire. The problem with functionality representatives understand the demands of perform and what works with what – both
is that it is not so immediately obvious, and contract applications. at the time of make up and for the lifetime of
its success or failure only starts to become the installation. A Skopos representative will
apparent after the glitzy launch. Yet it will have “So, hotel designers and specifiers need to therefore prevent functional errors occurring
a fundamental influence on whether that initial be technically wary and really should educate and our full turnkey solution from design to
visual impact actually lasts the course. themselves at least on the basics of contract manufacture of finished product will ensure
fabric functionality. For even if the initial practical mistakes cannot creep in later.
“Specification based on visual impact with health and safety regulations and the wear
insufficient understanding of performance and tests have been covered off to a satisfactory “In hotel fabric and soft furnishing specification,
technical construction, can result in a need for standard, there are many other potential it’s my view that technical issues tend to be
respecification or problems later in the project. issues in specifying contract fabric that can underestimated in importance until something
This is particularly evident when domestic fabrics cause problems – which only emerge after the goes wrong, when the question of appearance
are specified for contract applications – as can installation is complete. One potential issue is retention versus initial visual impact has
happen! Having said that contract heritage is the selection of incompatible fabrics, a problem to be confronted. However, the functional
not necessarily the safeguard it should be either. which generally shows itself as soon as cleaning responsibility for an installation has to rest
At Skopos, representatives receive a minimum and maintenance come to be required. somewhere, and I’m very proud of the fact that,
of four weeks’ technical training, which is with no sacrifice in terms of visual impact, we
much longer, and the training more rigorous, “The selection of textiles with different washing are happy for that functional responsibility to rest
than at most fabric suppliers. As a contract performances and washable fabrics that have with Skopos. Not everyone can say the same.”
skopos advertorial 105
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