Joe Ruggiero’s love of travel has always been a prominent inspiration for his home furnishings designs, including furniture fabrics, lighting and artwork. He continues that tradition in new Sunbrella® fabric offerings for the April 2014 International Furniture Market in High Point. From the colors of sea glass on the beaches of Malibu to the mix of contemporary and classic indicative of the French, visitors to the Miles Talbott Furniture showroom will discover new Sunbrella fabrics in five vignettes, each showing distinct style inspired by its location.

“My parents believed travel is the best form of education, and I couldn’t agree more,” Ruggiero said. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet some of the best designers and architects all over the world and have built up an archive of cultural inspirations that are reflected in these new Sunbrella fabrics.”

Ruggiero’s Sunbrella fabrics debuting during April Furniture Market are comprised of five groups – Malibu Beach House, London Townhouse, Grand Salon, English Country Cottage and San Francisco Victorian. The new fabrics emphasize soft, muted color ways and textural effects throughout.

Growing up on the Jersey shore and now residing in California, the beach has always been close to Joe’s heart. With the close proximity of Malibu, it is a frequent destination for gatherings with friends, shopping and dining. The Malibu Beach House features Flower Garden, a flower silhouette pattern, in the new color Lime for a beach feel. Also highlighted is an interesting, yet subtle, chevron pattern Boss Tweed II in the color Storm, reminiscent of natural sea glass.

Across the pond is the London Townhouse, a masculine home blending a contemporary, textural stripe Luke in Dove and Salt and old world, tapestry-like Tamaran in Stone. The gray color palette exudes sophistication and refinement, aptly describing the city itself.

Ever impressed with the design talent in France, Joe mixes upholstery and new chrome frames in the Grand Salon of a French chateau. This grand salon features “seventeen shades of beige” with the lead pattern Check-Me-Out, an enlarged gingham pattern in the color Stone. Complementing fabrics Boss Tweed II in Wren, a subtle chevron, and stripe Bedouin in Dusk adds texture and interest. Not new to Market, but taking on a whole new look and feel, is Tribal in Pumice. Originally inspired by the Southwest, this fabric takes on a very elegant feeling in the French chateau.

The English Country Cottage adds color to the new introductions, showcasing a brighter interpretation of Check-Me-Out in the color Melon. Married with Trax II in Chili and Trax in Wren, this cottage exudes quintessential countryside sentiment with the melon and beige combination.

Rounding out the vignettes, the San Francisco Victorian in the affluent neighborhood of Pacific Heights incorporates the city’s Asian influence in a muted, mono-color palette. The lead pattern, Ando II, was inspired by kimono textiles in Kyoto, Japan, and is featured in the color Wren. Supporting this intricate pattern is the textural Boss Tweed II in Mink adding another layer of depth.

“Travel is such an aspirational thing for most people and I have been lucky to see parts of the world that others might not,” Ruggiero said. “I am so glad that I can share my travel experiences through my collection of Sunbrella performance fabrics so that the stories of falling in love with new locales will stand strong in homes across the country for years to come.”

About Joe Ruggiero
Joseph Ruggiero & Associates, Inc. is a multi-media home design and television production company based in Los Angeles.  In addition to his Sunbrella fabrics collection, Ruggiero also designs upholstery for Miles Talbott Furniture, an MT Company Collection; casual furniture for Terra; wood furniture for Gat Creek (American made with wood from sustainable forests); decorative throws for Textillery; decorative trims for Phoenix and bedding and drapery for Casa Fiora. On the web at www.joeruggiero.com.

About Miles Talbott
Miles Talbott Furniture, an MT Company Collection, was founded in 1993 by Michael Thomas Furniture to expand its offering of top quality furniture for the growing market of lifestyle upholstery. On the web at www.milestalbottfurniture.com. The Miles Talbott Furniture High Point Showroom is located at 1690 English Road in High Point.

About Sunbrella Fabrics
Introduced in 1961, Sunbrella revolutionized the way the world thinks about how beautiful fabrics look, feel and perform. The Sunbrella brand is the leading premium fabric choice for awning, marine and furniture manufacturers, offering legendary durability, fade resistance and ease of cleaning.

Upholstery fabrics from Sunbrella are continually advancing in design sophistication and comfort, resulting in applications both outside and inside the home for coordinated décor. Sunbrella fabrics have been certified by GreenGuard, an international standard, for contributing to indoor air quality.

Sunbrella fabrics are manufactured and marketed by Glen Raven, a 132-year-old family-owned company based in North Carolina with operations worldwide. For more information on the Sunbrella brand, including fabric resources, visit www.sunbrella.com.