TRADE · FABRIC LIBRARY · 75 YEARS ON THE BENCH
Six fabric houses. Why these six.
The fabric library at the Colvin Street workshop is curated around six to-the-trade houses — Schumacher, Brunschwig & Fils, Pierre Frey, Kravet, Lee Jofa, and Donghia. The selection is not exhaustive (we work with any trade house on a per-project basis via COM), but it covers the work we actually build on the bench: heavy residential upholstery, period-correct antique restoration, country-house drapery, performance-fabric family-room work, and commercial. Here is what each house brings to the workshop and which projects naturally pull from each.
I. SCHUMACHER
Heritage prints. Performance overlap. The deepest part of the library.
Schumacher anchors the library. Full sample books across the heritage print lines (Mary McDonald collection, the Patterson Flynn Martin overlap, archival reissues from the 1920s and 1930s patterns), modern contemporary collections, performance fabrics, and the Codarus and Pyne lines. We specify Schumacher most often for residential bespoke upholstery on Federal Revival and traditional pieces, drapery in formal living and dining rooms, and any project where the designer wants archival print availability. Strong velvet line; the Schumacher Iconic Velvet has been a workshop staple for two decades.
II. BRUNSCHWIG & FILS
French + European period. Toile, damask, brocade.
Brunschwig & Fils is the period-correct house. French and European toile, damask, brocade, the historically-grounded patterns that work on antique restoration scopes. Common spec on Federal-period side chairs, Camelback sofas being restored to period appearance, wing chairs in formal living rooms, and any Federal Revival residential drapery. The B&F sample books cover roughly 200 years of European decorative pattern — useful for matching existing antique upholstery during set restoration where the fabric needs to integrate visually with original pieces in the room.
III. PIERRE FREY
French maison. Trianon, Boussac, Le Manach.
Pierre Frey covers the French maison heritage — the Trianon print line, the Boussac archives (Pierre Frey owns Boussac), the Le Manach print library (Pierre Frey owns Le Manach), plus the contemporary Pierre Frey lines and the Maison Pierre Frey velvets. We pull from Pierre Frey on French period residential work, country-house residential where French aesthetic dominates, embassy reception and dining rooms (where French patterns are common), and any project where the archival print is the design driver. Higher price point on the archival lines; the depth of pattern justifies it.
IV. KRAVET
The widest spec range. Performance + residential + contract.
Kravet is the widest range — performance fabrics for high-traffic residential and hospitality (Kravet Performance lines including the Crypton overlap), contract-grade for commercial work, decorative residential lines across all price tiers, and the Lee Jofa overlap since Kravet owns Lee Jofa. We specify Kravet most often for performance applications (family-room sofas where the spec is performance fabric in a residential aesthetic), contract reupholstery (commercial banquettes, hotel public-space refresh), and budget-conscious residential where the design language matches Kravet's contemporary collections.
V. LEE JOFA
Heritage prints. Threads. Cowtan & Tout overlap.
Lee Jofa for heritage and Threads lines. The heritage line covers chintz, period-appropriate prints, hand-blocked work, and the Cowtan & Tout archive (Lee Jofa owns Cowtan & Tout). The Threads line covers contemporary spec with the same heritage-tier production quality. Common spec on antique restoration where the original fabric was chintz or period-print, and on Federal Revival residential rooms where the aesthetic is traditional-but-not-formally-French. The Cowtan & Tout archive is particularly relevant for English country-house work.
VI. DONGHIA
Modern luxury. Velvets, wools, textured solids.
Donghia for modern luxury — velvets (the Donghia velvet line is industry-benchmark; we use it heavily on modern Chesterfield-style upholstery and on contemporary club chair work), fine wools, textured solids. The contemporary aesthetic is the differentiator: where Schumacher and Brunschwig & Fils lead toward traditional, Donghia leads toward clean, modern-luxury spec. The Maharam overlap (Donghia is part of the Maharam group) gives us access to the broader Maharam contract catalog for projects where contract-grade modern is required.
VII. HOW THE LIBRARY GETS USED IN PRACTICE
Memo pull. Workshop visit. Trade-rep coordination.
In a typical week the library handles a half-dozen designer visits — memo pulls for active projects, bolt-pulling for client-presentation meetings, browse-and-spec for upcoming work. Workshop visits are by appointment; designers email Jose to schedule. The trade-rep coordination side runs in parallel — special-order yardage not held on-site is ordered through the rep direct to the workshop, with the workshop tracking lead time against the project schedule. The library is operational equipment, not display; it gets used.
Frequently asked
Can I memo-shop for a project that uses fabric houses outside these six?
Yes — on a per-project basis. Designers spec from any trade house and the rep ships COM direct to the workshop. The six named houses are the on-site library; the broader trade-fabric universe is accessible through standard COM workflow. We do not require spec from the on-site houses.
Do you get trade discounts that I don't get directly?
No — fabric pricing is between the designer's trade account and the fabric rep. We do not buy fabric for the designer and don't get rebates from the houses for volume. The direct trade-rep relationship benefits the workshop in faster quotes, special-order handling, and quick-ship inventory visibility — not in pricing.
What if my client wants to see fabric samples in person?
Bring them to the workshop — common workflow. We host designer-plus-client visits to the library for fabric pulls; we have a designated meeting area away from active bench work. 30- to 60-minute appointments by arrangement. Some designers run two or three client visits per quarter through the library.
How current are the sample books?
Updated as the fabric houses ship new collection cycles — typically 2-4 collection drops per year per house. We rotate older collections out of the front library to archival storage; collections going back several years are still accessible for matching projects. The fabric reps notify us when new collections are coming and we update the front library accordingly.
Which house do you specify most often?
Depends on the work. For Federal Revival traditional residential — Schumacher and Brunschwig & Fils most often. For French period and country-house — Pierre Frey. For performance family-room — Kravet Performance lines or Sunbrella (off-library). For modern Chesterfield and contemporary residential — Donghia. For hospitality and contract — Kravet contract lines or Maharam (off-library). There is no single house we spec the most; the project drives the choice.
Can a designer add a fabric house to the library?
In principle, yes. Adding a trade-rep relationship and sample-book set requires the house's willingness to support a residential workshop with the rep relationship (some houses are highly selective). For active trade-account designers requesting a specific house, we evaluate whether the workshop volume supports a permanent rep relationship vs per-project COM. Conversation through Jose.
