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By Mitch, June 28, 2009 2:20 pm

Ever since inventing the LofaBed back in 1996, I’ve let the woman who co-owns the factory choose the material posted on my website.  As a guy, I was reluctant to tell a female of the species which fabrics to buy.  I mean, what the hell do I know?….I’m a typical guy!

But over the years, a certain alternative logic began to penetrate my thinking:  ”She may know more about upholstery fabrics than I do, but all her customers are French-Canadian, as is she, and I’m selling Americans and English-speaking Canadians, whom I know a lot more about than she does.”   So, fortified with this new resolve, I began the process of selecting new materials.  Oh yeah, one thing I forgot to mention…..I’m the factory’s biggest customer, so when I told Michele (co-owner with husband, Jean-Marc) of my intentions, she gave me her blessing forthwith.

First of all, I decided to restrict the suppliers we buy from.  I’ve always believed in “leverage” as a basic business principle, and because we’re small, the best way to generate leverage is to buy whatever you buy from as few companies as possible.  So I limited myself to three Montréal suppliers….all of whom I’ve known since the days when I used to own Canada’s largest futon furniture factory.  And my criteria was simple:  I wanted as many microfibers, in a variety of textures, as possible.  I’ve learned from women over the years that the attributes that make microfibers so popular (stain-resistant, liquid repellant, anti-cat scratching), are timeless.  So why worry about what’s fashionable in any particular year, when it’s a no-brainer that microfibers will always be “in?”

The only roll-overs from last year are Monet and Plush…both too popular to cancel.  In fact, I even added three new colors to Plush.  And I specifically looked for off-whites, blacks, and burgundies; since customers have been requesting these colors for years.  But the textures I was able to find, while still maintaining a “solid” look, surprised even me.  Kiri is what I’d call a “checkered chenille,” a beautiful blend of several colors into a thick, woven material.  Savoie and Rawhide fill the need for a leather-look, which so many people have been asking for.  Splendor is a polyester/nylon, but looks and feels a lot like a “brushed cotton,” which has always been a favorite.  Attraction is a pinwale corduroy and comes in some gorgeous colors.  And Paris, my favorite, is a handsome microfiber with an embroidered design….very cool.

There are more, of course, including seven multi-colored patterns, which lend themselves to be color-coordinated with many of the solids mentioned above…. 75 in all.  And that, my friends, will be THAT for a while.

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca