If you follow Sunbrella advertising, editorial and other media coverage, you’re probably familiar with our mantra of durability, fade resistance and overall great quality. We’re constantly reinforcing this message to our customers and the consumer. While most markets that we service understand these claims because of their own positive experience, we don’t often have the opportunity to show actual product in a private application - as many of our photos are of commercial and photo shoot locations set up for specific marketing purposes – mainly to WOW you with our beauty and utility.

So, it’s refreshing to be able to show you a private installation that actually took place over 30 years ago! A couple in West Hartford, CT put awnings on their home in June 1980 and they are still there today. The awnings were recently cleaned and we were allowed to take some photos to share with our Sunbrella followers. Dr. and Mrs. William Mancoll chose Style Number 1244 (I’m not sure what the pattern name was) 30 years ago to grace their lovely West Hartford home. State Awning completed the installation for the Mancolls and Awning Cleaning, Inc. of New Haven recently cleaned them to the remarkable finish you see here. Not bad for being out in the elements for over 30 years! I suspect these awnings endured the best of times, and the worst of times….and they still look good!

What a really smart and lovely space! Check out the entire makeover here.

A few of our brave, golf-loving customers participated in the Pro-Am pre-tournament festivities. Below you see John Deardon of Eclipse Awning following through on a nice tee shot.

Here is Ed Keogh of Futureguard also showing off his skills on the course.

Even our company president, Allen Gant, Jr. got in on the action. Here he is seen palling around with our Pro-Am partner, professional golfer, Justin Leonard.

The Wyndham runs through Sunday so if you happen to catch television coverage over the weekend, be on the look out for the Sunbrella logo. We even provided a nice place for the kids to play in the Sunbrella Kids Zone – for kids of any age!

Sunbrella is your anywhere you want it, anywhere you need it fabric!

Indeed, interesting work. From yacht interiors to condo makeovers; even aircraft interiors, this group headed up by owner, Terri Madden, gets involved in the unconventional when it comes to upholstery. Check out some beautiful photography of her latest projects here.

And here’s a swanky spot they beautified recently – a lounge area at the Copamarina Beach Resort Lobby in Guanica, Puerto Rico. Instead of typing up a blog, it would sure be nice instead to be lounging there with something sweet to sip on. Or maybe I could work from there? I’ll check with the boss and see what he thinks:)

We’ve learned in our travels around the country that there are a lot of misconceptions about awnings.  We have found them banned by homeowners associations for fear that houses would have garish, “circus stripe” awnings.

The time is right for awnings to make a rebound.  They provide excellent shade, reduce home cooling costs, and – with the fabrics available today – beautifully accent your home.

For more information on energy savings that can be realized with the use of awnings, see the Sunbrella web page on Sustainability.

Let us hear from you.  Does your HOA allow awnings?

Check is out here!

With a quick wit and ready smile, Roger was a delight to everyone he met. He kept an office here and regularly visited up until the end. And in that, we have so many ways to keep him with us in our hearts and minds; in the legacy he has entrusted to us, and for the future ways we can continue the commitment born in him 50 years ago.

To follow is more information about Roger Gant’s exceptional contributions to Glen Raven and all those whose lives he inspired over the years:

Roger Gant, Jr., who served as President of Glen Raven, Inc. from 1972 to 1989, has died at the age of 86.  Mr. Gant served the company in a variety of management positions and as President and Board Member for 55 years. He also led the Glen Raven team that created Glen Raven’s Sunbrella® brand of performance fabrics in the early 1960s.

“It was my good fortune to have Roger as a wise and patient mentor,” said Glen Raven President and CEO Allen E. Gant, Jr.  “As is true for many Glen Raven associates, Roger not only taught me the principles of good business, but also the value of family, community and people. He was a good and faithful steward of our company and set us on a solid course that is sustaining even today.

“Our family and all Glen Raven associates are greatly saddened by Roger’s death.  He was an inspiring leader, a dedicated husband and father and one of the brightest and most compassionate individuals you could ever care to meet. The world is a better place because Roger was here, and we will miss him greatly.”

Roger Gant, Jr. was born on May 9, 1924 in Alamance County, a second generation descendent of John Q. Gant, the founder of Glen Raven, Inc., where Mr. Gant devoted his professional career.  

Mr. Gant attended public schools in Alamance County and served with the U.S. Army during World War II, receiving decorations for meritorious service. After the War, Mr. Gant returned to North Carolina where he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He met his wife, Rose Anne, while attending college and they returned to Alamance County where they raised three children, Anne, Alice, and Roger III.  

Following graduation from UNC, Mr. Gant joined Glen Raven on October 1, 1948 and held a variety of positions culminating into president in 1972, a position he held until his retirement from management in 1989. Mr. Gant also served as a Glen Raven director, beginning with his first appointment on May 1, 1946. He continued to serve as a director for 55 years until his retirement from the board on June 7, 2001 and became Director Emeritus.

Mr. Gant was an innovative leader during his many years of service as a manager and director with Glen Raven. He fostered countless technical, financial and process improvements throughout the company while also encouraging the professional development of Glen Raven associates through continuing education.

Under Mr. Gant’s leadership, Glen Raven’s sales more than quintupled and sales per employee more than doubled. One of Mr. Gant’s most important achievements for Glen Raven was the introduction of synthetic awning fabrics and creation of the Sunbrella brand beginning in 1961. Sunbrella is today one of the world’s leading performance fabrics brands, recognized as the market leader for awnings, boating and furniture.

Not only did Mr. Gant foster innovation within Glen Raven, he also championed progressive thinking throughout the textile industry. Under his leadership, the company provided support for educational programs at N.C. State University, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Institute of Textile Technology. In recognition of his support for the performance fabrics industry, Mr. Gant received a lifetime achievement award from the Industrial Fabrics Association International.

Mr. Gant was also a community leader, involved in numerous nonprofit organizations including Boy Scouts, Alamance Arts Council, his church and diocese, YMCA, United Way and Salvation Army. He also served as a trustee for Elon College, now Elon University and community advisor for Wachovia Bank.

What a stately, Southern belle!

Here Remodelista provides insight into some design components that lend themselves well to this trend – including Sunbrella floor cushions and throw pillows.

Here we have a couple of Sunbrella colleagues enjoying the festivities and the shade, under an umbrella outfitted with Sunbrella fabric!

Last weekend Sunbrella was a proud sponsor at the Coastal Living Newport Regatta. Our fearless marine market manager, Vince Hankins, and his entourage enjoyed the many festivities over the weekend and greeted event goers in a space decked out with all things Sunbrella.

We love giving out bags made of Sunbrella fabric at these events - people love them and we love the exposure. Our marine customers are some of our most loyal so we are always honored when we get to mingle with them!

- Hal Hunnicutt, VP Marketing

When you’re a family of three living in a 962 square foot San Francisco flat, you want to make use of every square inch. We decided to build a breakfast nook in our eat-in kitchen so we’d have a cozier place for meals. I also wanted to be able to host a small dinner party without having to break out the TV trays. 

We had a carpenter build an L-shaped bench area with craftsman details to match the Edwardian style of our flat. After finding a simple white round table and two chairs, I bought some basic cushions for the benches and chairs, and four throw pillows. I knew finding the right fabric might take a while, so in the meantime, I covered the cushions with sheets (classy!) so we’d have a place to sit.

My search for the perfect fabric made me realize two things: I am cursed with an annoying appreciation for aesthetics; and I am blessed with a rambunctious five year-old son who likes spaghetti and chocolate pudding. Sensing a compromise on the horizon, I asked around, and several designers suggested Sunbrella fabrics. After flipping through a few Sunbrella swatch books at the local fabric store, I decided they were slightly more contemporary than what I had in mind. The solids were nice, too, but not quite right.

A designer friend recommended the Country Living Collection from Silver State Textiles. The fabrics looked too luxurious to be kid-friendly, but as it turns out, they’re Sunbrella fabrics, making them stain resistant and easy to clean. I would describe them as a fresh twist on classic, tried and true patterns, (think stripes, florals, paisleys and medallion themes), done in fresh, gorgeous colors. In a word, they’re lovely.

The next step was to choose two fabrics from the collection, and decide how to mix and match them. My muscle car-loving husband, ever the enigma, likes to dust off his Grandmother’s Blue Willow China on special occasions, so we needed something with hints of blue. I envisioned something with a green theme, so we agreed on the Cottage Paisley in Apple for our bench and chair cushions. The woman who sewed our cushions suggested using the reverse side of the Cottage Paisley fabric (which is predominantly blue) for our two accent pillows. I thought this was a fun way to create contrast without introducing a different pattern.

For the remaining rectangular pillows, we went with the Summer Stripe in Cut Grass. It has a bold stripe that complements the paisley nicely, with just enough blue to carry the theme. I prefer the look of welting to flanging or a knife edge, so we had the edges done that way with everything. 

I do love our little breakfast nook. It pleases me to no end. But I have a confession to make. Before I took the ‘after’ photos for this blog, I felt compelled to put an old baby blanket down every time Henry ate anything messy or did artwork. My Country Collection was just too pretty to be christened with a smudge. But the time has come to roll up the blanket and find out just how stain-resistant these fabrics really are. If they’re as durable as they are beautiful, I’ll be the happiest breakfast nooker in town.

- Sally Walen is a freelance copywriter, and lives in San Francisco, CA.  www.sallywalen.com

Get the details at Rechelle Unplugged.

The Arquati awning units were installed by Custom Canvas Works in Garner, N.C. and were funded by Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, makers of Sunbrella brand fabrics. Our on-staff energy guru conducted a PARASOL software simulation and found that:

- the cooling load due to the sun’s heat on the windows was reduced by 48%

- the cooling energy for the window system, and therefore the house, was reduced by 355 kilowatt-hours per year, per window

- the peak cooling energy demand for the windows was reduced by 52%

For all you energy novices, this means that awnings on your windows keep your house cooler, and your energy bills lower. I definitely understand those results!

Click here for more information on the NCSU Solar House.

Well, I have no problem with that….unless you’re so inclined to build in a little adventure and even touches of luxury to create the outdoor space that works for you. And that’s the beauty of YOUR outdoor space. You can make it whatever you want. As simple, or as extravagant as YOU want. This article at wacotrib.com has some of the most comprehensive yet simple ideas to transform your outdoor space I’ve seen in one article in quite some time. And you can decide what you want to use, and what you don’t want to use, as you transform your outdoor living area into your outdoor oasis.

The Sunbrella team coordinated the use of our fabrics in shade applications for this “creole and craftsman” style home. A retractable awning graces the carriage house and a backyard pergola features a ShadeFX system made with Sunbrella fabric.

If you’re in the area, the house is available for touring June 12, 2010 through September 12, 2010. See here for details.

And now with so many decorative choices, Sunbrella has a style that’s sure to meet every designer’s taste.

The El Paso Times covers a lot of the bases in this great article about the features and benefits of the various types of shade products and aptly discusses the fabrics that are best suited to withstand the elements. We’re glad Sunbrella topped their list!