Carnegie has been green since the 1980s—and people are starting to take note. Their signature material, Xorel, is a polyethylene fabric used for wallcovering, upholstery, and wrapped panels. Made of one continuous fiber—the patented process involves no weaving—Xorel cannot be torn. Michael Cook, Carnegie’s Vice President of sales, showed us the fabric’s indestructibility by shoving his pen into a tufted cushion.

Xorel’s Brightside Collection. Manufactured by Carnegie.

While this small measure of violence left a hole, it also disappeared—like magic. Just rub over the puncture and voila! The earth-friendly synthetic is PVC-free and has been from the get-go. Kudos to Carnegie. Xorel is also impermeable and easy to clean. The first version was plain, but now the fabric comes in patterns and embroidered versions. Debuting at NeoCon09 is Slide, a subtle print with vertical lines that comes in a soothing palette. We also got a sneak peek of Carnegie’s new collection of upholstery, Brightside. An upholstery fabric with the moisture barrier Dura-Block and the non-toxic, stain-resistant finish Nanotech, the collection uses bright bursts of colors in floral patterns. Brightside won Silver at Best of NeoCon, but you’ll have to wait until September to get your hands on it. One last thing: the Carnegie showroom was beautiful and fragrant–they made a gorgeous garland out of fabric swatches that were interspersed with real roses.