Given the current state of the Greek economy, it’s easy for some people to forget the country’s rich architectural and artistic heritage. In fact, websites are popping up here and there in response to the negative press about the country, offering PR campaigns that remind people of all the Greek wonders (sort of like the marketing version of the father from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, who insisted that every word had a Greek root and that every great invention came from the Hellenic civilization). For anyone in the A&D world, Greece can not be separated from its rich roots. One such example of their fruitful design vocabulary if the Greek Key pattern. HBF Textiles is interpreting the ornament in a large-scale graphic fabric called I-Beam.

I-Beam. Manufactured by HBF Textiles.

Greek Lines Form Linear Labyrinths

I-Beam presents the rich geometry of the distinctive Greek Key pattern in contemporary colorways and recycled fabric. Constructed of Crypton Green, I-Beam uses post-consumer and pre-consumer recycled polyester that also provides resistance to stains, odors, and bacteria—making it an ideal choice for contract applications. Available in warm and cool neutrals, as well as some vibrant shades such as Lemongrass and Molten (appropriately Greek, given the volcanic associations), I-Beam can give spaces a subtle elegance or provide a daring focal point.

The Greek Key motif, also known as Meander or Meandros, presents a two-dimensional representation of a labyrinth (famous for holding the minotaur). A common decorative element in Greek pottery and architectural friezes, the Greek Key is old-world ornamentation. Transformed for the modern age  by HBF Textiles, this motif gets beautifully incarnated in I-Beam.

About the Manufacturer: HBF Textiles supplies a wide range of designer upholstery and drapery materials, including fabric, leather, sheers, and faux leather. Some HBF Textiles are Cradle to Cradle® certified, an eco-framework that ensures products use safe materials that can be disassembled and recycled. Other fabrics incorporate recycled yarns, bamboo yarns, and post-consumer polyester. HBF Textiles also offers a line of wool textiles, a material that is naturally renewable, biodegradable, and flame retardant, thereby removing the need for chemical treatments.