Pantone recently announced Turquoise as the 2010 Color of the Year and to commemorate this ‘colorful’ occasion, we wanted to share some quick tips on how to brighten your home with this brilliant color.

The color turquoise evokes thoughts of the Caribbeans – white sandy beaches and calm, tropical waters. So it’s no surprise that during our economic recession, the color would be deemed as the hue of the year. It definitely brings an uplifiting and playful personality to any room.

How to Use Turquoise in Your Home

• In the Main Room – Turquoise as a main color in a room can be “too heavy.” Try using it as an accent color on a wall, on lampshades, vases, candles, or with curtains and throw pillows.

• Bathroom – Use the color to give your washroom a little “splash” with turquoise soaps, frames, pictures, towelettes, etc.

• Utilize the color on a larger scale to create a vintage or a cool, modern look. Tall china cabinets can be painted turquoise, as can fourposter beds to create a focal point in a room.

Color Pairings

• Neutrals & Browns – With both warm and cool undertones, turquoise adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns; also works well with shades of gray

• Deep Blues – When paired with deep blues, turquoise creates a classic maritime look

• Greens – Liven up any room by pairing turquoise with greens

• Yellow & Chartreuse – Turquoise becomes trendy when paired with these bright, distinct colors

Softline has an array of unique turquoise patterns that may liven up your current living space. Here’s just a few of many samples:

Natura
Natura is a contemporary cross dyed modern flock.
Made of 70% polyester 30% cotton
Available in ready made curtains, decorative pillows and by bolt

Pasha
Pasha is a modern embroidered slub taffeta.
Made of 50% polyester   50% nylon
Available in ready made curtains, decorative pillows and by bolt

Introducing a new Softline color to the turquoise family:

Netherwood

Opulent fabrics add comfort and luxury to a home, but at what cost to the environment?  Softline is spearheading the movement toward eco-friendly home decor with Evidence of Evolution (EOE), a line of ‘green’ products that are equal parts sustainable and fashionable.  Below are two curtain designs from our developing EOE line.

‘Envy,’ a circle-embroidered curtain made from inherently fire-retarded, 100% recycled polyester.  Available in antique gold, bisquit, champagne, chocolate, copper, cream, merlot, sky, and soft gold.

‘Bamboo,’ made of 100% matchstick bamboo.  Available in 84″ and 96″ panels and valances, in oak and walnut colors.

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Softline Home Fashions

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Softline would like to wish our friends and families
a safe and memorable new year!

To our customers & employees:
We couldn’t possibly reflect on this year and not thank you for your continued support, endless effort and contributions. Thank you for your business, as you are all very special to us.

Here’s looking to a successful 2010!

Softline Home Fashions
would like to wish everyone a safe and memorable holiday season!

For an inside sneak peek into Softline Home Fashions and the day-to-day life of co-founders Jason & Rodney Carr, check out our video:

Submt photos of your designs for a chance to receive credit toward your next Softline purchase!

Every few months we’ll select a winning photograph to post on our gallery page. Winners will be notified via email.

For more information, visit our “Products Info” page on our Website: www.softonlineonline.com.

With 2010 just around the corner, now is a good time to look into what the new year holds for the fabrics and home furnishings industry.

Check out the 2010/11 textile trend report from Heimtextil, one of the industry’s biggest international trade fairs, in Frankfurt, Germany:

Hypernature

Hypernature transports the freshness of nature to the big city

Here, fresh, urbane colours are combined with shades of smog. This brings a new strength and energy to city life and creates harmony involving sensuality and innovation. Hypernature builds on transparent materials with natural fabrics like soy and bamboo. Thanks to the use of tone-on-tone embroidery, Beneficial innovations gives somewhat modern, rational elements a hint of warmth and is sensual and ingenious as a result. In Organotech a touch of freshness makes the symbiosis with nature evident. Hybrid materials bring more poetry to the furnishings, creating shadow effects through the layering of fabrics and light. Layering reality transports a creation consisting of soft, bright, luminous structures, layers and delicate sensory illusions, the emphasis here being on bringing reality and poetry closer. (read more…)

Softline’s Jason and Rodney Carr are in North Carolina this weekend, setting up their booth for ITMA’s 40th edition of Showtime, one of the fabric and textile industry’s biggest trade shows.   One Monday morning, Jason will engage in a panel discussion with several other industry experts at “Breakfast at Showtime.”

More information about the event, from ITMA’s press release:

Fabric event sparkles with inspiration

After 20 years, it’s the Big 4-0 (editions) for Showtime, the largest fabric event in the Western Hemisphere held here each June and December, and the show is celebrating with an exciting first-time trend event and the return of a longtime favorite.

New Trend Presentation
The first-time event, “AMAZED: A Visit to Ahhs,” inspired by the 70th anniversary of classic film “The Wizard of Oz,” is a specially focused 4,000-square-foot trend installation by designer Mike Farrell featuring iconic images created with witty, surprising materials to illustrate the value of change and irony. Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. is sponsor of the presentation, which also will incorporate Showtime’s traditional Trend Bank and Eco-Trend Bank.

Return of Panel Discussion
In addition, Showtime welcomes the return of Breakfast at Showtime, a panel discussion of central industry issues with Eric Schneider, publisher of Fabrics & Furnishings International, as moderator.

The topic is “Life After China: The Western Business Equation Changes Again” and Schneider promises that his panel of fabric purchasing professionals and suppliers will “tell it like it is.” Panelists include Zack Taylor, vice president of sales and marketing, Valdese Weavers; Bob Choppa, vice president, Lexington Furniture; Charles Adams, chief sales officer, Victor Group; Jason Carr, principal, Softline Inc.; and Jane Roberts, director of upholstery merchandising, Thomasville Furniture.

The event will take place 7-8 a.m., Monday, Dec. 7, at the String & Splinter Club’s second floor Tomlinson Room. Seating is limited and reservations can be made by contacting Eric Schneider at (917) 251-9922 or eric@sipco.net. (read more…)