Glen Raven Re-Energizing Sunbrella® Awning Fabrics Collection
2008.10.21
Homeowners who are considering the addition of awnings for energy savings are being given yet another incentive to move forward with the purchase - enhanced fabric styling. Glen Raven Custom Fabrics is re-energizing its industry-leading Sunbrella® awning fabrics collection with 28 new stripes and solid colors that should appeal to homeowners from coast-to-coast.
"This is our single largest introduction of new Sunbrella awning fabrics ever," said Doug Dubay, awing fabrics market manager for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics. "We have truly re-energized the entire Sunbrella awning fabrics line at a time when more and more homeowners are recognizing that awnings save energy, enhance the beauty of a home and increase the enjoyment of being outdoors."
Gina Wicker, Glen Raven design and creative director, and her design team drew upon a great diversity of design influences in creating the new fabrics, including color and design trends in apparel and home furnishings. From the classic to the fashion forward, the new fabrics elevate styling sophistication for retractable and fixed awnings.
"One of the most innovative features of our new fabrics is the increased use of texture, which is extremely popular in apparel and furniture fabrics, but relatively new for awnings," Wicker said. "Texture does amazing things for awning fabrics, resulting in new color effects and adding an entirely new dimension of visual interest when viewed from underneath the awning."
The most highly textural of the new Sunbrella offerings are patterns Silica and Tresco. Silica has a textural effect that resembles a linen weave while Tresco creates a more subtle texture through creative combinations of yarns and fabric construction.
In terms of awning stripes, Glen Raven is launching six new patterns that also feature texture created through the unique application of specialty yarns. From a design standpoint, the new stripes range from the classically inspired look of Essex to the fashion forward presence of Ginza.
New solid Canvas colors in the Sunbrella awning line are Rust, Mineral Blue and Basil. Offering an update on the popular Tuscan look, Rust features a red-orange cast that can complement furniture upholstery inside and out. Mineral Blue is a clean, mid-tone blue, while Basil is a fresh soft green. The textural effects of Canvas are evident in the new colors, adding depth and color impact.
"These additions strengthen the Sunbrella awning fabrics collection at a critical juncture for the awnings marketplace," Dubay said. "Homeowners approaching the purchase of their first awnings will find colors and styling that appeal to their design aesthetics in fashion apparel and home furnishings. The Sunbrella awning fabrics line is based on the latest color and design trends, offering complements to furnishings and materials used throughout the home, inside and out."
According to industry observers, retractable and fixed awnings are enjoying a resurgence of consumer interest because of rising energy costs and concern for the harmful effects of UV rays. Scientific studies have proven that fabric awnings lower energy consumption by more than 30 percent by reducing heat gain inside the home. In addition, the non-profit Skin Cancer Foundation recommends Sunbrella fabrics as an effective sun protection material.
New Sunbrella® Awning Fabrics at a Glance
Silica
Silica offers a linen textural effect resulting from the use of two types of yarns - slub (varying thickness) and marl (two colors of yarn twisted together.) The face and the back of Silica feature different visual effects, creating an additional design option for awning fabrication.
 4858-0000 Silica Barley |
 4859-0000 Silica Dune |
 4860-0000 Silica Sesame |
 4861-0000 Silica Stone |
 4862-0000 Silica Silver |
Tresco
Tresco is what is known as a bird's eye weave, a term that is based on the visual effect of small dots of color in this textural fabric. Drawing its inspiration from a similar look in furniture upholstery, Tresco creates a unique look from a combination of yarn colors.
 4695-0000 Tresco Linen |  4696-0000 Tresco Birch |  4697-0000 Tresco Ginger |
 4698-0000 Tresco Clay |  4699-0000 Tresco Brick |
Eastland
Eastland is a large scale mirror stripe that integrates a tweed-like textural effect. Through a variety of colorways, awnings created with Eastland can complement virtually any environment, from lakeside to heavily forested.
 4811-0000 Eastland Juniper |  4812-0000 Eastland Lagoon |  4813-0000 Eastland Redwood |
 4814-0000 Eastland Classic |
Westfield
The Westfield stripe is similar to Eastland, but with smaller scale stripes in different colorways. A tweed texture has been incorporated into this pattern, offering a classic complement to its pinstripe effect.
 4815-0000 Westfield Julep |  4816-0000 Westfield Salsa |  4817-0000 Westfield Mushroom |
Morris
The use of slub yarns gives the Morris stripe a textural effect and distinctive colors. Mid-scale stripes in complementary colors result in a mirrored layout that is classic, yet freshly updated for contemporary tastes.
 4863-0000 Morris Meadow |  4864-0000 Morris Penny |
Essex
Essex is the most classic of the new Sunbrella awning stripes, featuring alternating bars of solid colors and varying dimensions of pinstripes. Colorways give this stripe a distinctly environmental look of rich green or brown.
 4778-0000 Essex Curry |  4779-0000 Essex Ivy |
Manhattan
Manhattan is a large scale bar stripe, offering a look that is both clean and bold. Colorway selections for Manhattan are among the most popular Sunbrella colors and complement this simple classic design.
 4788-0000 Manhattan Charcoal |  4789-0000 Manhattan Classic |
Ginza
Ginza is a departure from classic awning styling, with small repeating stripes in alternating colors against solid grounds of dark brown or black. This new stripe resembles the apparel look of espadrille reinterpreted for awnings.
 4774-0000 Ginza Onyx |  4775-0000 Ginza Java |
Solid colors
Rust is based on the popular Tuscan look, offering an update that has a rich red-orange colorcast ideal for completing furniture upholstery inside and out. Mineral Blue is a clean, mid-tone blue, while Basil is a soft green addition to the Sunbrella color palette. Sunbrella's new solid colors are offered in a Canvas construction, resulting in a subtle textural effect that adds richness and dimension.
 4687-0000 Mineral Blue |  4688-0000 Basil |  4689-0000 Rust |
