HACIENDA

A New Collection 

The new Hacienda Collection from Place takes its inspiration from the textures and colors found in the classical haciendas of Colonial Mexico.   These self-sufficient structures provided security and comfort in the New World. Adobe walls left rough or polished to a smooth luster provided both warmth and shelter.  Beautiful devotional paintings known as retablos were framed with ornately carved wood and embellished with gold and silver leaf, offering one of the few forms of decoration.  Hand-wrought grill work covered the windows and adorned the balconies and stairs, introducing another level of subtle ornamentation to these otherwise austere interiors.  The inspiration from these elements became the idea for Hacienda, capturing the comfort and subtle patina of Colonial Mexico. 

Five patterns –43 colors.

Santiago

This wonderfully luxurious 100% cotton is heavy and supple – ideal anywhere that the cool comfort of cotton is desired. Santiago is perfect for slip covers, general upholstery, casual drapery and shades. Twelve sun-washed colors.

Retablo

This 100% linen is available in eight fresh colors that have been stamped with metallic foil.  The result is a luminous surface with soft color peeking through the glowing patina of gold and silver leaf. Suited for sofa and chair frames, drapery and walls, headboards and pillows. 

Luz

A highly lustrous yarn is used to create this striking texture. Very durable with high abrasion performance, Luz is ideal to use where a touch of both glamour and durability are a requirement. Eight colors.

Veracruz

This unique double cloth combines a layer of fine linen with a layer of lofty wool. The motif is formed by pulling the wool through the linen, connecting the two layers into a flowing pattern and creating a distinctive fabric for residential use.  Suited for throws and coverlets, headboards and walls, pillows and drapery.   Eight colors.

Córdoba

This inviting upholstery is produced from a condensed chenille yarn that is woven through a highly textured linen warp.  The resulting fabric has a soft, pleasing hand and the charming look of a hand woven fabric.  Available in a sophisticated palette of seven colors and ideal for any upholstery application where comfort is key. 

Erin Strasen

Erin creates the Place blog and is off to Barcelona for the month of July to study Spanish and have fun.  Here she is hand making memos in advance of incoming sample stock!

A New Alliance!

Place Makes the Herman Miller Grade!

Place has just been approved for a very exciting Textiles Alliance Program (TAP) with Herman Miller!  Starting this fall, specific Place fabrics have been pre-approved for use on designated Herman Miller pieces.  A stunning example is the iconoclastic Eames compact sofa which was adorned in Veneto Stripe / Vermont in the Herman Miller NEOCON showroom this year!

This alliance is a response on the part of both Herman Miller and Place to address the evolving needs of the market.  For customers looking for a luxurious but durable alternative to the Herman Miller standard offering, Place provides a terrific option.  The Place color palette of sophisticated neutrals and rich, saturated hues is especially complimentary to the Herman Miller legacy of clean lines and bold color.  The Place attitude toward design integrity and quality in upholstery makes this alliance particularly ideal.

At NEOCON Herman Miller introduced a beautiful new series of lounge seating called Swoop designed by Brian Kane of Kane Design Studio in San Francisco.  Pictured here are several of the Swoop pieces including a modular sofa and pull-up lounge chair and ottoman.  Aimed at the office, learning, healthcare and residential environments, these pieces make a strong contribution to the Herman Miller design heritage.  Upholstered in Place fabrics, this highly usable group of seating is especially compelling.  See Balmory, Clare, Hidden Canyon and Genoa put through their paces! An exciting addition to all this was seeing Oasis / Dover on a beautiful new seating group from Nemschoff at the Herman Miller for Health Care showroom – also at NEOCON in Chicago.

Place is very proud to have “made the grade” with a company as prestigious as Herman Miller and looks forward to kicking this program off in the fall.

Swoop pull-up lounge in Clare / Raven

Swoop modular sofa in Hidden Canyon / Cactus

Detail of Hidden Canyon / Cactus

Nemschoff Three Seater in Oasis / Dover

Setu Chair in Genoa / Lava

Nemschoff sofa in Oasis / Dover 

  

Swoop modular lounge in Balmory / Meadow

 

Detail of Balmory / Meadow


    

Office Insight: What is the Value of Bamboo?

 "It's not that bamboo textiles are bad; just don't kid yourself that they are better than something else." - Kristie Strasen

                                                    

In the May 17th edition of officeinsight*, Kristie Strasen was quoted in "What is the Value of Bamboo?" an article on the practical use of "green" materials. Peter Carey, author of the piece and President of Streamline Material Resourcing, delves into the issues surrounding materials that have been labeled environmentally conscious in the design world.

"If the US Green Building Council has done one thing in a supremely effective manner, it has been to motivate interior designers to seek out sustainable materials for their projects. This has led to a wholesale desire within the design community to find the greenest, cheapest material available.....bamboo is a great material and a wonderful choice for certain aspects of interiors projects. It is, however, also the subject of a fair amount of greenwashing in our industry. Many manufacturers have capitalized on the association with sustainability to appeal to consumers desiring to buy green, even where these qualities are not present." - Peter Carey

You can read the full article or download the PDF here.


*officeinsight "giving voice to those who create workplace design & furnishings" is a weekly newsletter available for download by subscribers.

Sneak Peak in Violet

What signals spring more than the pale violet of these stunning Turkish tulips? Did the gardener responsible for planting the bulbs throw in that rogue red for a bit of humor or was it a happy accident?

No matter what – these beautiful tulips are the perfect chromatic gesture to introduce Retablo, a brand new metallic linen from Place. This glamorous medium weight linen is available in eight fresh colors that have been stamped with metallic pigments and bring to mind the lovely frames found on retablos, the devotional paintings associated with Colonial Mexico. Part of Hacienda, the new spring collection from Place, Retablo is a stunning addition to the growing Place line of compelling textures and colors.

Stay tuned for more information about Retablo and the other four fabrics that make up Hacienda.

Check out the pattern information for Balmory here!

Place Hits the Awards Circuit!

Every January Contract Magazine has an elegant breakfast at Cipriani's spectacular 42nd Street location in NYC. The breakfast honors the work of design firms whose projects reach an exceptional standard of excellence.  This was the 30^th year for this event and over 500 industry luminaries were in attendance. 

Place had the honor of providing the fabrics for Jennifer Busch’s wonderful ensemble this year.  As the editor of Contract, Jennifer handed out the awards and looked very chic in a dress and jacket designed and made by Jean Lin who is the multi-talented editor of the otto-otto blog.

Check out the stylish dress that used Bantry Check / Moss in the bodice and Hidden Canyon / Violet in the skirt.  The fashionable little jacket was made from Balmory / Sable and the frayed edges of the fabric were revealed as a interesting design detail.  Jennifer looked fantastic and Place got plenty of kudos for contributing to the creation of this smart ensemble!

 Jennifer Busch – Editor of Contract magazine in the final creation

 

Hidden Canyon - perfect for holding the bell shape of the flattering skirt 

 
Jean Lin makes a last minute adjustment to Jennifer’s Balmory jacket

Textile and Texture - Inseparable and Intrinsic

Place Design Elements Series    

It is no accident that the words textile and texture come from the same Latin root meaning “to weave”.

The exquisite bird’s nest in the photo above was found nestled deep in the branches of my Christmas tree this season. To me this amazing structure embodies the notion of texture and textile.  The dictionary defines texture as “something composed of interwoven elements – the structure formed by threads of fabric – the essential part.” 

And there you have it – texture is the essential part of any textile!

When examining the intricate detail of this lovely little nest, it is easy to see the twigs, pieces of bark and even mud that are working together to construct what becomes the fabric of the nest.  The fabric in the photo above is one from the Place Durable Luxury™ series.  This macro shot allows the viewer to see, in fine detail, the way different yarns interact to create a beautiful texture that is both strong and inviting.

Whether sleek or nubby, smooth or cuddly, soft or glossy, crisp or relaxed – Place emphasizes fabrics with beautiful, inviting textures. The photo above embodies the Place passion for texture.  Top to bottom: Balmory / Valencia; Ravenna / Valencia; Catalina / Bark and Meer / Valencia. 

from Kristie Strasen   


This is the first in a series: Place Design Elements
Photography: Erin Strasen and David Gilbert 

HAPPY 2010!

   Place Textiles wishes you a  

healthy, colorful and interesting New Year!

The fruit shown comes from the Rambutan tree and is native to Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and South East Asia. Photo by Stephen Grimm.

Contract Couture Continues

 

Today was the first fitting for the Contract Awards ensemble being produced from Place fabrics.  Jean Lin of Otto Otto fame is also a talented fashion designer in her own right (dressedinyellow.com). At our last meeting, Jean measured up Jennifer Busch, the ever-so-svelte editor of Contract Magazine.  Jean made a “trial” dress and jacket to be fitted to Jennifer today.  Miraculously – everything fit perfectly – like a glove actually.  The stylish, unstructured jacket was the perfect use of Place fabric Balmory and Jennifer’s petite figure was not the least bit overwhelmed by this luscious wool bouclé. Reserve your tickets now for the Annual Interiors Awards Breakfast on January 29 and follow progress with Otto Otto updates.