February 25, 2025
3 Textiles and Wall Treatments with Purpose
From upholstered home furnishings to architectural surfaces, textiles and wall treatments become backdrops for living. But it is the union of material composition and artful execution that imbues these things with a consciousness and empathy for the human experience. The future promises thoughtful products with even deeper meanings.
WONDER
Wonder marks another significant development for applied materials brand Designtex, which championed neuroaesthetics before the niche interest came into vogue. Over a decade of evidence-based research backs the upholstery collection’s informed patternmaking. Available in nine colorways, amorphous shapes and curvilinear forms dance across the yardage as saturated bursts of color break through muted hues to deliver an instant dose of dopamine.
The style embraces entropy and chance, mimicking the organic nature of wildflower fields through a carefully calculated abstraction. Woven from slightly contrasting yarns, 60 percent of which are pre-consumer recycled polyester, the reimagined scene is given extra dimension to encourage discovery and spark joy over time. Designtex leads by example, showing the positive implications of hyperconscious creation with empathy for those differently abled, and steps the industry must take to address the often-overlooked issue of sensory experience.
DESIGNTEX
designtex.com
EL MURO
Walls have been burdened by negative connotations of exclusion and division. But what if walls could be wielded for the opposite? El Muro, a recent exhibition by Wolf-Gordon, showcases the work of seven Latinx artists from both sides of the U.S.–Mexican border through a subversive survey of patterning, graphic pieces, and wallcoverings.
Artists Blanka Amezkua, Camila Apaez, Monica Curiel, Francisco Donoso, Dyg’Nojoch, Rodrigo Lobato, and Laura Noriega have practices rooted in painting, conceptual art, product design, ceramics, and textiles. The septet’s works portray iconography from the Aztec mother goddess Coatlicue interlaced with that from Catholicism’s Virgin Mary, binding twists of a chain-link fence rendered like graffiti, modern polychromatic representations of spirit guides from the Mayan tradition, and more.
WOLF-GORDON
wolfgordon.com
TWIST ON A CLASSIC COLLECTION
Reinvent, reinterpret, or reinvigorate—regardless of semantics, Luum Textiles’ Twist on a Classic Collection recontextualizes iconic upholstery and timeless weave structures with the help of industry innovator Suzanne Tick. Houndstooth, herringbone, nubby wool, boucle texture, two-toned drapery, and large-scale graphic motifs find modern meaning articulated through a fresh survey of scale, hue, and finish technology. These six textiles craft an especially poignant material narrative when experienced through engaging interior surfaces from furniture to room screens to window coverings.
Each fabric assumes a new moniker, providing verbi-visual clues as to what will unfurl: Hyped Up, Herringbone Hybrid, Wooly Wooly, Demi Boucle, Afterimage, and Sgraffito, respectively. What’s more, each tackles sustainability regarding material composition in conjunction with production methods to minimize waste, heavy metals, and harmful chemicals. Laudable achievements also include the use of renewable or recycled content and REACH Regulation compliance across the range. Colorways are equally robust with 18 options in one style.
LUUM TEXTILES
luumtextiles.com
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