Interior fabrics help business budgets

By Carla Waldemar

Even in this uneasy economy, business across the board is growing steadily, everyone agrees. “Things are definitely going well for us, because in this distressed economy, use of interior fabrics helps their budgets out,” explains Elaine Allen-Milne, director of marketing and communications at Eventscape in Toronto. Susanne Jansson, principal at New York’s Better Mousetrap, says with a laugh, “No, we’re not cheap, but we cost less than a build-out.”

“Mesh is very durable, very long-lasting,” says Heather Collins, marketing director for Cambridge Architectural in Cambridge, Md. “It may cost more than many fabrics originally, but it outlasts them, so the cost of use is less.” Bob Helmsing reports that Lawrence Fabric Structures is experiencing a strong year for interior fabrics, “probably because we have had so many diverse opportunities—decorating, dividing, controlling light and sound, both in new construction and renovations.”

Carla Waldemar is a freelance writer based in Minneapolis, Minn.