As a de-facto member of the male gender, I’ll grudgingly admit that—nothwithstanding my many iconoclastic qualities—I’m saddled with some of the habitual man clichés: a pervasive fondness for certain beverages of the malted variety, an annually-revived affection for NCAA Basketball, a wide-eyed bewilderment at the religious devotion many women (my wife included) practice in regard to fabric.

Eco Textiles from the Ocean Collection. Manufactured by Kravet.

In my bachelor days, my windows were outfitted with flimsy plastic slats. Rather sad, I’ll admit, but nothing could have prepared me for the endless textural and colorful configurations of the FABRIC STORE: batik and brocade, chevron and crepe, jacquard and lisserie—it seemed these textile devotees had a language all their own. And the ending to my personal saga is that our windows now sport purple velour and Sufi-turbaned monkeys, interlined-backing and box pleats; our bed is festooned with shams graced with the elegant physiognomy of pink giraffes, forging and cavorting among viridian palms.

Eco Textiles from the Ocean Collection. Manufactured by Kravet.

Eco Textiles from the Fire Collection. Manufactured by Kravet.

Eco Textiles from the Earth Collection. Manufactured by Kravet.

Even if the above still seems a foreign language, if you live in the vicinity of NYC, it’s a good bet you’ve heard of Kravet Textiles and Fabrics. For 90 odd years, Kravet has alleviated the woes of interior designers with “the widest range of fabrics in the home decorating industry.” A veritable institution that’s also a fourth-generation family business, Kravet makes it easy on us indecisive types: their online interface allows designers and their clients to peruse and select from various categories including color, type, collection/designer, and price, and voila! your ideal fabric appears virtually before your eyes, thus avoiding the inevitably arduous task of arming your way through piles and piles of choices, each more tempting than the last.

As an additional incentive, Kravet appeals to the ethically responsible citizen within each of us with their new line, Kravet Green. This collection features cloth made exclusively of 100% recycled polyester. A “unique blend of post-industrial and post-consumer fibers,” Kravet Green fabrics are treated only with water-based colorants and environmentally-safe dyes. Kravet divides the green collection into three aptly-named color palettes, each with broad appeal: Fire “speaks confidently in luminous crimsons, fiery scarlets and deep purplish reds”; Earth “speaks lushly in balanced beiges, rich chocolates and classic greys and blacks”; and Ocean “speaks softly in powder blues and aquas, sandy beiges and nurturing greens.”

Talkative textiles indeed. But with Kravet’s esteemed reputation, endless variety, easy interface, and eco-wise production, it would be hard not to listen.

Experience first-hand how Kravet appeals to the senses at the AD Home Design Show, March 26-29.