Unusual Materials

Unusual Materials

Hotels are an important of today’s society. Much of the time, when people travel, they cannot make the entire trip in one day. In this case, a person would have to stay in a hotel. Hotels have a lot of traffic coming through them every day and with that kind of traffic, the building must be large and able to withstand a lot of different situations. Hotels do not have to be ugly though. They can be made very interesting.

An interesting hotel is the Urbn Hotel. It is different because it uses common materials in unusual ways. The Urbn hotel is located in Shanghai, China. This hotel in China is also a unique hotel in that 100% of its materials are recycled. Ever since this hotel was opened in 2007, it has been a wonderful example of solar design and energy efficient design. Having an entire hotel that is so eco-friendly, is definitely not something that you see all the time.

 When it is said that the entire hotel is eco-friendly, it is not an understatement. One of the best uses of a recycled material in the hotel is located at the front desk. Behind the front desk is a very unique wall covering, suitcases. Yes, you read it correctly, suitcases. Whoever designed this wall has taken sides and tops of old suitcases and arranged them on the wall to create an interesting wall covering. It is very smart because a suitcase is something that almost everyone brings into a hotel. It looks very unique and is very clever to associate suitcases with a wall covering. The original handles and belts are still intact on the suitcases, creating a wall that is so enticing that a person could just grab onto it.  

Suitcases made into a wall covering are a very unusual use of material but it is one that is unlike anything that you would be expecting when you walk into a hotel. Unusual materials really make the Urbn Hotel stand out from other hotels. This hotel makes the point that a hotel can be upscale, modern, and classy as well as being eco-friendly.

Works Cited

Bridgette Meinhold (12/08/10). Inhabit. Retrieved from http://inhabit.com/old-suitcaes-used-to-decorate-shanghai-urbn-hotel/

Design Day: Daltile

Design Day

 

            On one particular day of the year, every October, there is an excitement in the air for all the design students on the Texas Tech University campus. It is the day that Design Expo takes place. The reason for the excitement is that on this particular day, many vendors from all around come to show the latest and greatest things from their company. One of the materials that was very pleasing to see was the tile at the Daltile table.

            Daltile is a large tile company that has quite a bit to offer when it comes to choosing the right tile. Whether it is commercial or residential, chances are, they will have something for just about any tile job a person has. One of the things that was on display that sparked my interest was the different colors and textures they have to offer.

            Another reason for the added interest in the Daltile booth was the fact that I was working on a project for another class that included the Daltile showroom in Dallas, Texas. Part of the project was that all the horizontal surfaces must be tile. Plus, it is a tile showroom, therefore, the space should inspire a person to want to use tile for their own projects. It was very interesting and helpful to get to see some of the newer products they have to offer that could potentially be added to my project.

            The most memorable type of tile that they had at their booth was a tile that was in long wavy strips. The wave-like shape of the tile, staggered in placement, caused the tile to look textured in way that is unique to other tiles like it. Most likely, this tile was meant to be used on backsplashes and walls. The tile, also, was not all one type of material. It was a mixture of glass and porcelain tile. Together, the two make a very attractive combination.

            Tile is one of the most prevalent materials in interior design. It can be the most practical or the most decorative part of a space. Daltile would definitely be a good vendor for tile in future projects and was a particularly good place to stop on the journey through the many different vendors that came to Texas Tech University for Design Day.  



Blog Post #4: Applications

Blog Post #4: Draft 1

On the Texas Tech campus, there are many different applications of fabrics and various materials in many different places. One place where many different types of materials can be seen is in the Student Union Building. At the Student Union Building, one of the most popular things to see as far as Interior Design is concerned, is all the seating.

                The chairs that are between the ballroom and the Allen theatre are probably one of the worst uses of materials seen in the sub. If one was to go to the Student Union Building to see them right now, they would see some chairs that once looked new and modern but now appear to be in bad shape. The truth, however, is that the chair itself is not in that bad of shape, it is the materials that were selected to be used on it.

                One chair in particular that I picked out was in fairly bad shape. It had been upholstered in some sort of faux leather material and now had holes and scuffs in multiple places. The material is obviously was not sturdy enough to be used on this chair. One reason is because these particular chairs get used constantly day in and day out. A person could rarely walk in and see no one in this area of the Student Union Building. This type on simulated leather is just no match for the amounts of traffic going in and out every day.

                When seen, it is obvious that this chair was intended to be upholstered. A suggestion for solving the problem of high traffic might be to just get a different type of chair for this area, preferably one that is easy to clean and has very little fabric that can be easily ripped, torn, or stained. Comfort may be sacrificed a bit upon getting a different type of chair but the durability would be significantly better.

                Bad uses of materials can cause many downfalls in the minds of many. A bad use of material, such as the material that the chairs in the Student Union Building are upholstered, can harm the entire space, causing it to feel older than it really is. This example can really be a motivator when it comes to selecting the right materials.

All About Looks

All About Looks

Have you ever needed new blinds, drapes, and bedding, or even just needed old chair upholstered but couldn’t find a place to go? Well, your search is over because there is a great local place right here in Lubbock to meet all your needs. It is a little shop on Buddy Holly called “All About Looks.”

            A recent field trip to “All About Looks” revealed a lot of different options to choose from when designing a space. One of the first things I noticed upon walking in to the store was tons and tons of fabric. They have anything from vinyl leather to silk to environmentally friendly fabric. An interesting thing that they had was a material that was cork that has been made into a fabric-like material. In the store they had a pillow that was covered in this cork material. It felt similar to leather but had an interesting look to it. But why would anyone want a pillow made of cork? Cork is a material that is becoming popular because of how available it is and mainly because it is environmentally friendly. I personally thought that this was one of the most innovative uses of cork that I’ve ever seen.

            “All About Looks” definitely had a lot of fabrics but it was not the only thing that they had to offer. They also can create custom drapes, bedding, and just about anything else that can be sewn or used to decorate in your home. They had a wide variety of curtain rods and finials to choose from, whether it be big, small, traditional, or modern. In addition, they also had tassels, buttons, and decorative nail heads. On the field trip, they mentioned that they prefer to use the products they have because they know how they hang and how they will look but they will do just about anything. Using the products that they have available is no disadvantage when see how much they have to offer.

            The last thing that we got to hear about and witness at this business was in the back of the store. They upholster and re-upholster furniture in the back. You can take them almost any piece of furniture and they will fix it the way you want. You can bring in the fabric or even choose something from their selection. An example of a small piece of their upholstery work was a chair cushion that someone had brought in to be fixed because their new puppy had chewed it up. When we saw it, you could not even tell that anything had ever happened to it. It was a pretty impressive upholstery job.

            The field trip to “All About Looks” was a very interesting  and informative experience. They have a lot of different things to offer when it comes to improving aesthetics in interiors. I would definitely go to “All About Looks” for future interior design projects.   

Blog Post 2: Field Trip: Put It to the Test

Put It to the Test

Fabric rips. It tears. It scuffs. It gets dirty. Think about all the things that clothes, materials, and fabrics go through on a day to day basis. But how do we know that the materials we are exposed to all the time will hold up? After fabrics are made, they go through a series of many tests to determine how each type of material will act in certain situations such as abrasion, tearing, and shrinking.

            Instances where fabric is exposed to abrasion happen all the time, especially when the fabric is upholstered to chairs that get sat, stood, and spilled on. There is, in fact a test to determine how well a fabric will hold up in these instances. The fabric is put through something called the Martindale Abrasion Tester. This machine will test how well the fabric holds up by rubbing the fabric, using pressure that is caused by either a 21 or 28 oz/in weight. When the machine is done, the fabric can be evaluated by a change in appearance, breakage in yarns, or loss of mass. When a material can withstand the pressure without any of these things being a big issue, a customer is more likely to use the fabric in an area that endures a lot of use.

            Abrasion can be just one of your worries when it comes to holding up through daily activities. Things can get caught on the fabric and cause the material to rip, snag, or tear. The tearing strength is also tested before those luscious materials can be used as drapery, sewn into pillows, and upholstered to your favorite chair. This type of testing is called the Tearing Strength Elmendorf Method. This machine tests the average tearing force of a piece of fabric from the energy of a falling pendulum. The fabric must rip all the way through in order to count. If the fabric does not rip or slips, the test must be re-done with heavier weight. Accurate testing will show how a fabric can act in a situation where it is exposed to a sudden heavy load.  

            Ok, so the abrasion and tearing has passed the test but one question that might be common is, “what about the fact that some of my fabrics shrink and some do not?” There is a test for this also. It is referred to as Dimensional Changes of Fabrics Accelerated (Quickwash). True to its name, this test stimulates a washer and dryer like many have at home to determine how much a piece of fabric will shrink. There are marks that get put on the fabric before the wash and dry. After the cycles have finished, the marks are measured by computers to see how much they moved. This test is very important and relatable for people who have ever had materials shrink because shrinking is not something that can be reversed.

            These tests answer the common questions asked about the durability of fabrics. It is important for fabric to be long-lasting and sturdy. So next time you sit on that comfy sofa or admire your attractive pillows, remember all the tests the material had to pass to be a part of your home.

Fiber: A Relevant Fiber to Today's Society

When asked, “What fiber are clothes made of?”, I’m sure most people would answer “Cotton”. I believe that cotton is one of the most relevant fibers in our world today. But to truly get a firm grasp of this widely used fiber, one must ask the question, “Why use cotton for apparel?”

Cotton is grown on a plant in staple form. However, it has seeds woven into in it when it is harvested. To remove the seeds, the cotton must go through a process called ginning, in which a machine takes the seeds out to leave just the soft fiber. Believe it or not, the fiber is not even close to being that souvenir t-shirt or favorite pair jeans yet.

Once the seeds are removed, the cloud-like fiber is then taken through a manufacturing process that lines up the fibers parallel to each other. At this point, cotton can then be spun into yarn. Once it is spun into yarn, it can then we woven into the fabric that is the foundation for many of today’s fabrics.

This fiber is very attractive for fabrics because it possesses so many desirable qualities. It releases dirt easily and is fairly resistant to scrapes and scuffs which is ideal for the average working American. Cotton is also pleasing to look at due to the fact that it absorbs vibrant colors easily. One cannot forget one of the most enviable qualities that cotton fabrics possess. This feature is the soft, comfortable feel that it has to offer. These characteristics make cotton a very sought-after fiber when it comes to apparel.

 Cotton has become very advantageous to our society. It has many vast qualities to offer to ensure that a person looks good and feels comfortable in what they are wearing. Now that you are informed about the uses for cotton in apparel, just think about all the other places it shows up in our day-to-day lives.