Australia's climate allows for outdoor dining and relaxation for much of the year. Long sunny days, breezy afternoons and hot rainy nights call for the highest quality materials for outdoor furniture. Outdoor fabrics should be selected with particular care. Let us take you through the basics.
It is crucial to ensure the fabric you choose for your outdoor furniture has the content, and characteristics required to withstand the elements. With the right care and maintenance, high quality outdoor fabric will maintain its appearance for many years, giving you the best possible return on your investment.
With this in mind, we have curated a selection of outdoor fabrics for our Cosh collections, offering not only a beautiful range of co-ordinates that perfectly complement our product range, but that also offer exceptional quality and performance.
Outdoor fabric collection samples hanging in the Sydney showroom.
Cosh Offers The Best Outdoor Fabrics That Technology Has To Offer
At Cosh Living, we source fabric exclusively from renowned fabric brand Sunbrella, and our valued European suppliers to upholster our collections. When it comes to resisting the elements, our fabrics are of the highest standard available in the world.
Many of our fabrics have a smooth and soft handle, offering an enviable and practical result for outdoor and indoor applications alike. No more tough, canvas-like scratchy fabrics, our outdoor fabrics are engineered to emulate the comfort of indoor fabrics. Your Cosh Design Consultant can assist in recommending a fabric that suits your environment, space and tastes.
Beautiful and resilient outdoor textiles by Tribu.
Materials To Look For
- Solution Dyed Acrylic
Solution Dyed Acrylic fibre, is a man made fibre. UV stabilised colour is added during the manufacturing of the fibre. Unlike dye that sits at the surface, of natural fibre, the colouring of the acrylic, extends all the way to the centre of every fibre, staying true over time.
Acrylic can be recycled, and in fact our Nubby fabric is made up of 50% recycled Acrylic, which is a great re-use of resources. The 'Rain' fabric available for Gloster collections, also contains recycled fibres. These fabrics offer a uniquely interesting texture. If you look closely you’ll see flecks through the fabrics, evidence of the recycled fibre.
- Solution Dyed Polyolefin:
Some of our most popular fabrics, offer a very natural appearance, though deceivingly, they are made of 100% Solution Dyed Polyolefin.
A by-product of the petroleum refining process, colour is inherent in polyolefin - right to the core of every fibre - again giving ultimate resistance against fading.
The Mbrace Lounge Chair and Manutti Touch Ottomans, upholstered in sophisticated, calming blue and green tones.
UV Mildew & Wear Resistance
- UV Resistance:
For the Australian sun - selecting an outdoor textile with a high UV resistance is important. UV Resistance is measured by exposing a fabric to extreme levels of UV for a time, and comparing against a control material, that is, against a material already known to have a certain resistance against fading.
Most of the fabrics in the Cosh offering, have received the highest possible score of 7-8 out of 8.
- Mildew and stain resistance:
Fibres used in our fabrics offering are inherently mildew and stain resistant. The threads do not absorb moisture, and when combined with our quick dry foams, offer a solution for all weather conditions.
- Wear:
The wear of fabrics is measured by the 'Martindale' rating for abrasion resistance. This test rubs a fabric over and over again, and notes when the fabric starts to show distress. The higher the Martindale, the hardier the fabric. Nothing under 10,000 will be appropriate for upholstery! This test assists in selection of the right fabric for every setting.
Commercial settings like hotels and restaurants have a lot of use, and will demand high Martindales. Similarly, the family's favourite outdoor daybed, which is used by the kids, their friends and the dog - will want a high Martindale count too.
Talk to your consultant about the look you want, and the kind of wear and tear you expect for your furniture piece. Every fabric has a different Martindale, and fibre content.
A selection of the Cosh Living 2020 collection fabrics and finishings.
Care, Maintenance & Support
All furnishings, indoor and especially outdoor, require regular care maintenance to perform at their best. No material is completely immune to fading over time, and though high-quality outdoor fabrics are extremely resilient, regular care will maximise their lifespan.
Regular cleaning will prevent the build-up of any dust, leaf and bird litter, and any resulting mildew, from settling into the weave of the fabric. Apart from keeping the fabric looking and feeling its best, this will reduce any extra friction when the furniture is in use.
A vacuum or a standard garden hose, is a great way to remove surface dust.
A mild, diluted detergent, and a soft cloth or soft brush may be used to remove any marks. Cushions should then be hosed down very thoroughly with a hose, and left to dry in open air.
If desired, removable covers can be cleaned by washing machine. In this case, they should be refitted while still damp, to allow for shaping across the cushions.
When removable, cushions should be stored in a dry covered space during rainy weather or off season, to maximise the life of the fabric & foams. Crucially, although the cushions are designed to get wet, they should not be left damp for a period of time.
Cosh offer a 3 year warranty against faulty workmanship, on cushions and fabric. This warranty excludes normal wear and tear or damage due to the neglect of care requirements. Cosh offer ongoing product support under all circumstances, upholding our excellent reputation for unsurpassed follow up care.
In need of an update? Whether thinking of a new look - or to refreshen tired fabrics, we can offer updated upholstery to many of our collections.
Some pairings of our current favourite colour palettes; rusty reds and seaside blues.
Easy Selection of Textures & Colours, To Create a Personalised Result
The palette selected for Cosh Living collections takes influence from the most recent international design trends, while also reflecting the Australian aesthetic, landscape and way of life.
A sophisticated result is simple to do, coordinating and layering textures and colours. We can point you toward our favourite options for the collection you like, and can also offer professional assistance, where a truly individual result is desired.
Feel welcome to bring images of your space along to the showrooms, to discuss colour and texture options to best suit your outdoor area.
We love to work with our local fabric partners, including well-known names such as Mokum/ James Dunlop, Unique Fabrics & Elliott Clark. These brands are constantly releasing new collections, colours and patterns - so there is a world of choice when it comes to customisation.
Fabrics Stocked Locally for Efficient Product & Delivery
Stocks of all fabrics in our curated outdoor collection, are kept on hand at the Cosh Factory in Melbourne. This allows us to offer excellent pricing, as well as very attractive lead times.
Let's see these fabrics then, shall we?
Click Here to download our Cosh Living Outdoor Fabric 2020 Collection Sheet.
Sunbrella fabric 'Blend Clay' as seen on the Tosca armchair, designed by Monica Armani.