I love fabric.

Two of my hobbies (costuming and home decorating) regularly bury me under yards and yards of cloth. Textiles are spilling out of my sewing cabinet and flooding my home.

A vibrant blue Indian sari snakes around a curtain rod hung in the middle of a blank living room wall. A parchment-colored cotton-poly billows in clouds from the bathroom ceiling, transforming the small room into a spa. Tulle defies gravity and hovers over my bed in a canopy.

Beautiful fabrics are filling my closet as well. In the midst of Black Friday holiday shopping, finding the perfect first-leaf-of-spring green jacquard for a Regency-period ball gown made my day. And just last night, I saw a baby-soft synthetic wool that will become a cape…or three. “There may not be any more of this left if I come back later,” I thought, “so I guess I better go ahead and buy the whole bolt!”

You can imagine, then, how pleased I was that my first feature assignment for Futon Life concerned futon covers. Diving into the world of cover manufacturers and hearing their enthusiasm for the art of their craft was a treat. Futon covers are uniquely able to both stay current with trends in the furniture world and break some of its rules. I hope you will enjoy immersing yourself in this paradox as much as I have.

I. TRENDS
"Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess."
-Edna W. Chase

Emerging trends

Three phrases sum up the most-discussed fashions in futon covers today: faux leathers and suedes, washable fabrics and bright colors. The three exist happily in different
circles – patterns on high-performance washables, soft browns and tans in leather looks and brightly colored wovens. Surprisingly enough, however, the top three trends can even go together. For example, SIS Futon Covers makes a faux suede cover that can be thrown in the washer and dryer, and suedes are increasingly showing up in vibrant colors, as opposed to the neutrals more natural for leather and suede.

Futon Fabric

The best-selling futon covers right now are made of microfiber (particularly faux leather and suede), woven (such as jacquard and dobby) and chenille fabrics. "

Faux suede has eaten into a lot of the fabric market," said Shari Hammer at SIS Futon Covers, located near Minneapolis, Minn. "They’re currently our best-selling item. Business is actually down at pattern mills because of the prevalence of these fabrics."

Futon manufacturers and retailers agree that durability and washability are important factors when a consumer is selecting a futon cover. Texture is also important. Consumers favor fabrics with a soft hand, such as chenille, suede, velvet and pre-washed fabrics.

The expanding trend toward indoor/outdoor living spaces is influencing fabric choices as well. Shoppers are looking for weatherproof fabrics and are now able to find them in the same styles they buy for inside their homes.

Popular Futon Prints

Printed fabrics make up the majority of futon covers, although the ratio of prints to solids varies between manufacturers. Elite Products of Corona, Calif., stocks 10 prints to every one solid, while CottonBelle of St. Louis, Mo., stocks one print to every two solids. Other futon manufacturers come in somewhere between those two ends of the spectrum.

The currently favored prints are geometric designs, particularly stripes, circles and retro 60s and 70s styles.

Ethnic prints, such as African and Middle Eastern designs, are steadily growing in popularity as accent fabrics and seem to have replaced animal prints like leopard and zebra. More unusual animal looks, such as faux crocodile and faux rhinoceros, are showing up here and there.

Novelty fabrics have always been popular with futon buyers. "It is just the nature of our product," said Hammer. "Because you can change the cover, the customer is not afraid to be more bold." SIS Futon Cover’s line of novelty themes includes NASCAR, travel, Old World and lodge.

A few specific types of prints are so prevalent that they warrant more detailed examination.

Southwest

Southwest prints have been popular since futon covers came into existence. Mike Chaffa at the retail store Futons, Etc. in Providence says that while Southwest is still around, it has gone from loud to very subtle. He used to sell a lot of Southwest covers even in New England, a market that tends to go for more traditional styles, but Southwest is not as sought-after any more. In many areas, it fits into the novelty cover category.

However, “the Southwest look is still popular in the Northwest and Southwest regions,” said Mike McCarthy at Elite. "It’s very traditional for them. It has historical and
cultural significance."

Asian

Asian is probably the new Southwest. Asian prints have been showing up in futon covers since the beginning, and they continue to sell well in many different fabrics.
"Someone told me a couple of years ago that Asian prints were going out of style, but that just isn’t true," said Yeeling at Ling’s Design Covers in Dallas, Texas. Rather, the style seems to be gaining popularity. This category includes more than just Chinese prints. It also contains Japanese and Indian designs.

Asian prints used to be available mostly in cottons and tapestry fabrics. Now they also come in chenille and other higher-quality fabrics, which Yeeling says has increased her sales of Asian prints.

Tropical

The growth in the indoor/outdoor fabric market has also affected prints. "Tropical has become a category, not just a trend," said Mary Lou Rath at CottonBelle. The company offers a palm tree pattern that has been its number one seller for four years. CottonBelle has never had a futon cover with that kind of popularity before.

Hammer concurs: "Tropical is still really great–everybody wants to be in some kind
of paradise!"

Color

We do not like green eggs and ham, but we do like green futon covers. All shades of green are fashionable with futon manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike, and green is set to continue growing. Pink, orange and purple are the other trendiest color statements.

In general, color is brighter and there’s more of it. Yeeling is picking bright colors for her reorderable line. "Futon retailers can use bright colors for eye-catching window displays," she said. "Consumers who buy these colors can use them for spring and summer then put the futon covers in kids’ rooms."

"We’re seeing a blast back to the 70s," said Marcia Nachreiner at Omni in Madison, Wis. "The colors are back, only brighter – lime green instead of avocado, bright orange instead of harvest gold."

Neutrals and earth tones also sell well. "Spa colors are in," said Rachel Taylor at Dream On Futon in Bellingham, Wash. "Seafoam, robin's egg blue, light teal, bone–colors that remind us of sun, surf, sand and relaxation, tranquility."

II. INSPIRATION
“‘Where do architects and designers get their ideas?’ The answer, of course, is mainly from other architects and designers, so is it mere casuistry to distinguish between tradition and plagiarism?”
-Stephen Bayley