Skip to main content

If you have been following me on social media, you know that I recently moved to a new home and am beginning renovations to it. Let’s face it; moving can be overwhelming even to a seasoned designer, especially if one is a perfectionist, like me. It is exciting to have a clean slate to build upon but also daunting at the same time. Typically, when I design a room, I have one item that serves as inspiration such as a rug, piece of art, or fabric that I love. But when you have a virtually blank slate, it is often tough to nail down the direction of the design. I’m usually excited for something to present itself, which helps me guide the process.

A few weeks ago, I was approached by Ultrasuede® and asked if I would like to use their product in a little furniture makeover. I jumped at the chance, as I have loved Ultrasuede® since its inception in the 1970s. I may regrettably be showing my age by admitting that, but I have. I fondly remember the day mother excitedly modeled her newly purchased Ultrasuede® suit. Ultrasuede® became all the rage for its ease of care and beautiful hand. One might argue it was indeed the first performance fabric offered in the market.

Initially introduced in the couture houses in Paris, it was a status symbol to own something made of Ultrasuede® in the 1970s. I can remember buying yards to make wrap belts and pocketbooks as well. The colors were beautiful and it had the look of real suede only better. The demand for the product quickly outpaced the production, and Ultrasuede® became a very sought after commodity which has continued to grow through the years.

I’ll never forget the dreamy aqua blue Ultrasuede® sofa which was the focal point in my friend’s beach house. I can remember thinking how clever of the designer to use Ultrasuede® in a beach house because of the ease of care of the fabric. The fabric looked like luxurious suede but felt soft like velvet.

I knew Ultrasuede® would be the perfect choice for my bedroom project. The fabric’s soft, plush hand and luxurious appeal combined with high functionality and durability make this an excellent choice for the headboard and bench in my bedroom. As a designer, I knew that Ultrasuede® was great for chairs, sofas, ottomans, sectionals, bed frames, headboards, cushions, and decorative pillows. It is used in contract interiors so it would undoubtedly be perfect for my bedroom.

As it states on the Ultrasuede® website:

“Ultrasuede® is manufactured in a variety of weights to meet the demands of specific applications. Ultrasuede® for furniture, for example, is made a little thicker to stand up to the wear and tear of upholstery applications. Ultrasuede® LX, to take another example, is a sensuous, drapable garment fabric light enough to be worn comfortably all year round. Make sure you choose the Ultrasuede® HP that is right for your project”.

Ultrasuede® is superiorly designed for all the active centers of the home and office, plus upholstery, slipcases, drapery, pillow, and cushion coverings and so much more.

The soft, plush hand feels like genuine suede. Genuine Ultrasuede® HP is not only durable and sustainably produced, but it’s also luxuriously soft to the touch. It will hold up much better and last longer on upholstered furniture than competitive fabrics – without questionable chemicals used to create other high-performance materials. And it’s a terrific alternative to leather. See the new colors and the complete Ultrasuede® HP collection here.

It’s soothing to the touch in any season and climate, offering cool comfort in warm times and soothing warmth in the cold.

Spot-cleanable and easy to care for fabric.

Highly abrasion-resistant—exceeds 200,000 Wyzenbeek double-rubs.

Resists sagging, crocking, pilling, and shrinking.

Our unsurpassed range of today’s most sought-after colors all provides excellent colorfastness.

Superior processability and yield compared to natural suede.

Both animal- and child-friendly.

The next order of business was to decide on the colors I wanted to use for my project. Ultrasuede® makes the memo ordering process so easy.

I went to their swatch ordering page here and placed my order for memos. Ultrasuede® will ship up to six swatches for free. It was tough for me to decide because there are so many great colors. There are 97 colors in the current collection, and Ultrasuede® just introduced 14 new colors. Of course, I wanted to choose from the new collection, so I ordered Blush, Lilac, Tea Rose, Rosewood, Nude.

Ultrasuede® has launched 14 New Exciting Colors Introduced into the already 97 strong HP Ultrasuede® Color Collection

The 14 new colors cover four color categories: earthy greens, soft pinks, watery blues, and a fresh mix of more complex shades. See the new colors as well as the complete Ultrasuede® HP Collection by Click Here

My swatches arrived the next day. Once I had the memos in my room, Blush and Lilac were the clear winners. I chose Blush for the headboard but wanted something a little more custom for the bench than a solid color, so I decided to combine blush and lilac and create a stripe affect.

I was so excited when my furniture returned from the upholsterer. It turned out even more beautiful than I had anticipated.

We are in love with our newly upholstered headboard and bench. I especially love how the stripes on the bench turned out, don’t you? Now I have to design the rest of the room! Stay Tuned for more!

Guess What!!! I have a surprise for you…….ULTRASUEDE® GIVEAWAY!!!!!

I have partnered with Ultrasuede® to sponsor a GIVEAWAY FOR THE DESIGN CONNECTOR READERS!!!!! Wouldn’t you like to win 20 yards of Ultrasuede® for your own project (for interior designer only!)? All you have to do to be Entered is:

Leave a comment below telling me which project you would like to receive your Ultrasuede® for and then go to the Ultrasuede® website and order your swatches here! All participants will receive their free swatch samples(s) requested and the winner will receive 20 yards of Ultrasuede® HP Fabric of their choice! Giveaway deadline September 17th.

DETAILS FOR GIVEAWAY: No purchase is necessary. You must be 18 years old to enter. You must be based in the U.S. This contest is not affiliated with anyone but Lisa Mende Design and Ultrasuede®.

This post was sponsored by Ultrasuede®. As always I only collaborate with products as companies I think will be of value and interest to my readers. Thank you for reading!

Today, almost 50 years later, Ultrasuede® is used to fabricate furniture, sports gear, watch bands, automobile and airplane upholstery, cases for smartphones, and mobile devices. Ultrasuede® continues to expand its applications into other industries and lifestyle uses. I guess you can say Ultrasuede® is hotter than ever. It is the best ultra-micro fiber on the market today! The Ultrasuede® brand goal is to bring interior designers the best in design, quality, and value for their residential and commercial projects in the industry today.

To Learn more about Ultrasuede® visit their website here!

2 Comments

Leave a Reply to Karen parham Cancel Reply