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November 20, 2019

Tent Revival: Lord Fabrik Releases a Natural Canvas Alternative to Vinyl

Foregoing toxic compounds, the weathered-look treated collection can be used for upholstery, wallcoverings, and rugs.

By: Lila Allen

APPLICATION: The canvas can add impact resistance to walls, but can also serve as upholstery and area rugs. For wall applications, Lord Fabrik recommends using a clay-based adhesive and following standard installation protocol. Courtesy Lord Fabrik

With their rugged, earthy appearance and minimal design, army tents are more evocative than they let on. A quick Google search yields a number of objects that reconfigure their sturdy—and almost always muted green—waxed-canvas skins into household items. Here, a leather-bottomed tote for lugging groceries; there, an $8,000 limited-edition sofa. Designs hardly fit for battle, sure; but they will serve a hardwearing user well, and look good doing it.

Now Lord Fabrik, a Gaithersburg, Maryland–based company, has engineered a weathered-look treated canvas that can be used for upholstery, wallcoverings, and rugs. Though the product is high performing and Class A fire–rated, it’s all natural—a big win for those hoping to ditch the toxic compounds often found in textile treatments. All of its components are made in the United States, from the dye to the finish.

PROPERTIES: Lord Fabrik’s product is all natural and Class A fire–rated, and has the look of waxed, oiled canvas. Designers can customize the material for murals if desired. Courtesy Lord Fabrik

Lord Fabrik isn’t entirely new to innovative materials: Its sister company, EcoDomo, has been specializing in leather surfacing since 2005. Bernice Lord and Christian Nadeau, Lord Fabrik’s president and vice president of sales, respectively, say that expertise from one collection naturally fed into the other. “The inspiration came from clients mentioning the lack of true natural alternatives to vinyl,” says Nadeau, who also cites a special order for a canvas area rug as a starting point for the line.

So far, the company seems to be onto something: Since launching the fabric privately to clients, Lord Fabrik has already installed more than 250,000 square feet of the product. Now that it’s on offer to the public, that number promises to grow.

COMPOSITION: Like many canvas fabrics, Lord Fabrik’s features a cotton base. Each piece has been treated to be water-repellent. Courtesy Lord Fabrik

You may also enjoy “5 Futuristic Materials That Could Reshape Architecture and Design.”

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