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What began as a joke between a retailer and a sales representative has uncovered the true capabilities of a Louvolite internal blind fabric.
Dale and Kerry Arnold owners of Launceston Blinds & Canvas thought they would surprise their Louvolite sales representative David Kennedy by using some leftover internal blind fabric externally.
“We used the Bloom fabric on one of our outside Auto Awnings as it was left over from one of our previous internal jobs. David was coming over so we did it to wind him up. However, COVID-19 hit and he didn’t make it. So he didn’t see it for another 12 months,” Dale told WFA.
”We have had so much great feedback from our customers, they love it. It makes it easy for customers to see that we can offer internal and external window furnishings for their homes and still think outside the box. Big smiles all around – it’s a fixture now.”
Tasmania is well known for being able to have four seasons in one day very much like the UK, but on that very rare occasion they do have extreme temperatures in excess of 30 degrees. Dale and Kerry explained that, given the big hole in the ozone layer in Tasmania, UV is a major concern.
“In Summer we are in the mid-20s with some days over 30 degrees. We are also in a high rainfall area. In winter we range in temperature from minus four to the low teens with several days in the single digits. Last winter we got four inches of snow on the showroom roof.”
David Kennedy told WFA that Louvolite is often asked if our fabrics will or can indeed handle the harsh Australian climate.
“There is no better way than having a customer test our fabrics to see first-hand how robust they actually are – even better when that customer decides to do this without prompting.”
“The Bloom fabric which is typically used for internal blinds is one of Louvolite’s digitally printed designs and mainly used for bathrooms, kitchens or where customers want an easy care material,” explains David.
“We have never seen this used externally before, but this is proof that all of our in-house testing that we conduct in our state of the art manufacturing facility in the UK allows us to have the confidence in Louvolite fabric performance.”
The awning has now been on display outside Launceston Blinds & Canvas showroom for around 12 months with no signs of cracking, discolouration.
“It simply looks as good as the day it was installed, all testament to our brand and manufacturing,” David added.
