The Perennials Difference
A cutting-edge coloring technique, combined with a fervent attention to detail, have made Perennials textiles designer favorites for more than a decade.
1. The Color
“From color to fiber to finish, every detail matters,” says Ann Sutherland, Perennials president and founder. The design of a rug begins by selecting a color—the Perennials team spends months, even years, scouring natural and man-made pigments to find the perfect hues.
For its collaboration with WSH, the design team chose nature-inspired shades, each tested for performance and colorfastness before being added to the fibers. “The soothing effects of blues and grays are utilized throughout the collection and provide a perfect foundation to a multitude of environments,” she says.
2. The Durability
Sutherland and her team of skilled weaves are very conscious of how textiles are interacted with every day by the end client. That means exploring “how different yarns, weave structures, and color blends can all work together to bring fabrics or rugs to life.” All of this comes back to the definition of perennial, an inspiration ever since the company started. The brand prints this on all product sample cards as a subtle reminder.
3. The Fiber
While other outdoor rugs use fibers with color applied as an exterior coating, each Perennials rug begins with 100% solution-dyed acrylic fibers that are injected with the color pigments. This unique dyeing process is what ensures the colors stay vibrant, season after season. The solution-dyed acrylic fibers are then wound onto spools and taken to a weaving loom, where colors are selected based on the pattern each artisan will follow on their weaving map.
4. The Weaving
The Williams Sonoma Home rugs are woven at a weaving workshop in India on traditional Punjab looms, which allow the artisans to weave and precisely control the fibers and create detailed patterns. The hand-weaving technique takes more time than other methods, but transforms the durable acrylic fibers into a weave that re-creates the beauty and softness of natural cotton.