What Types of Materials and Collections Does Designtex Offer?

Updated

Designtex offers applied materials for the built environment—chiefly wallcoverings and upholstery textiles—organized into named collections that pair high-performance engineering with design-driven surfaces. The company's own site describes more than 60 years in the design and manufacturing of these materials. If you are specifying finishes for a commercial interior, the relevant categories are wallcoverings, upholstery, and digitally customized surfaces; the collections below show how those categories are actually packaged.

Wallcoverings

Designtex wallcoverings range from print-on-demand printed surfaces to woven constructions built for heavy traffic.

  • Slow Color — A collection of print-on-demand wallcoverings and upholstery created by artist and designer Alisa Benfey. The designs derive from Kusaki-zome, the Japanese art of seasonal botanical dyeing, and are applied to high-performance materials. This is the clearest example of Designtex combining handmade, ephemeral aesthetics with contract-grade substrates.
  • Woven wallcoverings with Crypton® Wall backing — A trio of woven wallcoverings uses tape yarn in both warp and weft to produce refined surface textures. The Crypton® Wall backing and finish provides permanent stain, spill, and odor protection plus bleach cleanability, which the company positions for high-traffic environments with rigorous performance requirements.

What to check before specifying a wallcovering

Confirm the backing and finish system, since that is what determines cleanability and stain protection rather than the face design alone. For the woven trio, bleach cleanability is stated as a feature of the Crypton® Wall finish—verify it applies to the specific pattern you select.

Upholstery Textiles

Upholstery is the broader side of the catalog, spanning solid velvets, patterned wovens, and performance finishes.

Collection / Product Character Performance notes
Alto Soft-to-the-touch velvet in a full spectrum, from bold hues to neutrals High-performing; made with recycled content
Abode Textured bouclé with an organic, irregular surface and angular motif Engages multiple senses through pattern and weave structure
Linger Cuddly-soft hand Indoor-outdoor performance; rigorous C2C certification
Nestle Ultra-plush surface Supreen™ silicone finish with fluid barrier backing
Metroline Graphic motif of overlapping architectural shapes Part of a collection spotlighting structural weaving beauty
Florette Floral tapestry with a soft painterly effect Same pattern-focused collection as Metroline
Awe Uplifting pattern, originally a woven in the award-winning Joy collection Now offered in a more versatile form

The "Performing Arts" collection groups visually engaging patterns, tactile surfaces, and soft yarns that disguise high-performance qualities—upholsteries intended for spaces that need durability without a hard, technical look.

Reading the performance claims correctly

Two distinctions matter when comparing these textiles:

  1. Finish vs. construction. Nestle's performance comes from a Supreen™ silicone finish and fluid barrier backing—a finish-and-backing system. Alto's performance is described alongside its recycled content, so durability and sustainability are separate attributes to evaluate.
  2. Certification vs. claim. Linger carries C2C certification and indoor-outdoor performance; these are stated credentials, not inferences. Ask for the documentation for the specific colorway.

Digital Customization: Digital Studio

Designtex offers Digital Studio for customization, referenced on the site alongside the Slow Color collection ("Customize with Digital Studio"). Slow Color itself is print-on-demand, which indicates that at least some wallcovering and upholstery designs can be produced to order rather than selected from stock. If your project requires a modified scale, colorway, or proprietary pattern, Digital Studio is the entry point to ask about—confirm lead times and minimums directly, as the site does not publish them.

How to Choose Among These Categories

  • High-traffic walls needing bleach cleanability: start with the woven wallcoverings using Crypton® Wall backing and finish.
  • Artistic, plant-derived wall surfaces: Slow Color, especially if print-on-demand production suits your timeline.
  • Soft solid-color upholstery with recycled content: Alto.
  • Upholstery for indoor-outdoor or C2C-driven projects: Linger.
  • Upholstery needing liquid barrier protection: Nestle with Supreen™.
  • Pattern-forward schemes: Metroline and Florette for graphic and painterly effects respectively; Abode for textural bouclé.

Pricing, sample availability, and order minimums are not specified in the available site information; the presence of a checkout page indicates online purchasing exists but does not confirm terms. Request samples and current specifications from Designtex before finalizing a specification.