Performance-fabric producer Sunbrella is unveiling its Sunbrella Interiors sub-brand in an immersive experience on the Showplace Walkway during High Point Market.
It is part of the company’s effort to showcase “the soft side of performance” and raise its profile as a producer of fabrics for interiors uses after building a reputation as a go-to source for outdoor fabrics.
“Sunbrella Interiors … allows us to clearly communicate to consumers and partners who know and love Sunbrella for outdoor use that we also offer beautifully designed fabrics and products that elevate interiors,” says Suzie Roberts, vice president and general manager of furnishings for Sunbrella.
through its dealer partners.
Sunbrella has offered interior products for several years, including upholstery fabrics, window treatments and throws. The company expanded its capabilities with the opening of a novelty yarn plant in Burlington, North Carolina, in 2022, enabling it to produce textural yarns, including bouclés and chenilles in-house, Roberts says.
With that new production capacity, Sunbrella expanded with a stocked drapery program and a custom window business, Roberts says.
“Unlike many competitors who source yarns externally, this gives us full control over quality and enables the rapid development of new textural innovations,” she notes about the Burlington plant.
When considering how to further grow its interior business, Sunbrella conducted a series of focus groups with consumers and designers, Roberts says.
Burlington, North Carolina, allowing the company to rapidly develop new fabrics and textures.
“In blind testing, Sunbrella fabrics received overwhelmingly positive feedback for aesthetic and hand feel,” she says. “We also found that introducing a dedicated, indoor-focused sub-brand would be the most effective way to communicate the trusted performance of Sunbrella in styles and textures that beautifully enhance spaces.”
The decision to stage a space on the Showplace Walkway came from recognition that “historically, Sunbrella hasn’t always been the easiest to access,” Roberts says. “This space offers an inviting, hands-on opportunity to discover our latest offerings, from fabrics to window treatments and throws, all brought together to showcase highlights of the collection in a tactile, design-forward experience.
The Sunbrella Interiors display will highlight a mix of patterns, textures and colors across the sub-brand’s offerings, including its newest collaborations with Block Shop and Sien & Co., as well as its throws (three patterns and several colorways for a total of 11 SKUs).
The company’s stocked drapery line includes five patterns in a variety of colors, sizes and lining options, from light filtering to blackout. Its line of custom window treatments, available through its dealer network, includes drapery, Roman shades and solar shades in more than 300 fabrics, Roberts notes.
The Sunbrella Interiors website will launch in the spring, but the company’s offerings for interiors are available on its primary website, Sunbrella.com.
The company recently launched a designer trade program. “Many of our fabrics are available directly through Sunbrella, with exclusive designer pricing via our new trade program,” Roberts says. “We have clearly indicated which offerings are available only through our partners, as well as fabrics already offered on frames through furniture manufacturing partners. All our stocked drapery and signature throws are available directly through the Sunbrella trade program. Sunbrella custom window offerings are available through our dealer partners, who are listed on Sunbrella.com. A growing number of our dealers also offer designer trade programs.”
