Tropical looks spice up kitchen

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 10/12/2001 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

NEW YORK - Looks like summer may not be over just yet.

A fresh tropical breeze is wafting into the New York Home Textiles market - and it's coming from the kitchen and dining rooms.

Whether it's with brilliant colors, natural constructions of bamboo, jute and raffia, or designs of swaying palms, exotic flowers and wildlife, kitchen textile and table linen manufacturers are paying homage to the tropics with their latest introductions this fall.

One of the examples of the most recent trends from this market's kitchen and table linens comes from Pueblo, CO-based Looking Glass Enterprises, which is introducing an orchid napkin ring that comes in fuchsia, ivory and mayabi.

The flower is made of a silk-and-poly blend, and the stem is made of plastic.

Table Trends, a division of Arlee based in New York, is introducing its new Rainbow collection of table linens dressed in stripes and solids in mango, palmetto, kiwi and Caribbean colorways.

New York-based Trendex Home Designs, for its Oneida/Sakura licensed line is introducing several new collections evoking the tropics.

Ashford Court's new Wild Kingdom collection of place mats and runners features more than 25 tropical designs of animal and safari fabric looks in faux leather, animal skin patterns and chenille and tapestry constructions.

New York-based Bardwil Linens, in vinyls, is introducing a brightly-colored collection titled Bahama.

Louisville/Saydah Home Fashions, also based in New York, is introducing a line of bamboo place mats that come in three designs and several colorways — natural, sage, yellow, burgundy, navy, hunter and black.

New York-based Sam Hedaya Linens' new Calypso collection of tropical looks is made of 100 percent easy-care white visa polyester.