Metropolis Digital Optimism Talks logo

Join us every second Tuesday of the month for a dose of optimism with thought-provoking guests who are revolutionizing their fields. Innovators will lead virtual workshops for an hour of discovery, inspiration, and community. Led by editor in chief, Avinash Rajagopal, these workshops will be guided by our audience, where questions are not only welcome but encouraged.

Register Now
natural habitat cold spring home exterior

Metropolis Editors, Natural Habitat, sustainability, sustainable architecture

METROPOLIS Introduces Natural Habitat, a Sustainable Homes Video Series

The series debuts with a tour of a tranquil upstate New York retreat designed with Passive House principles.

Read more
||

January 1, 1970

Materials Lordfabrik

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, […]

By: Bridget Newsham

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 hard-wearing 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.

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.

Recent Viewpoints