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Looking for a quick and colorful boost of cabin-worthy style this season? Just in time for summer, there’s a new line of fabrics merging Sunbrella durability with classic Pendleton patterns that can instantly transform your balcony or backyard into a summer camp getaway.
It’s a marriage made in outdoor heaven: Founded in Oregon in 1863, the Pendleton brand is literally woven into the history of America, featuring textile patterns inspired by Native American motifs, cowboy saddle blankets, and national park landscapes. North Carolina-based Sunbrella is a go-to for performance fabrics in vibrant colors that can stand up to tough treatment and still look great. They’re resistant to abrasion, pilling, stains, mold, and mildew; they’re fade-proof, thanks to solution-dyed acrylic fibers with built-in UV protection; and they’re easy to clean (even with bleach solutions).
The Pendleton by Sunbrella collection is bright and bold, with strong patterns that are “perfectly suited for homes in Colorado because of their nod to the history of the American West,” says Caitlin Mancini, who sells the fabrics through Denver showroom Hoff Miller. “I especially love the national park stripes, which are based on Pendleton’s iconic wool blankets—and you wouldn’t believe these are outdoor performance fabrics, with how soft they are!”
Good looks aside, every Pendleton by Sunbrella fabric tells a story—evoking vivid scenes and rich traditions. Here, a few of our favorites:
A riverside campsite festooned with brightly hued fabrics pays homage to both national parks and Native American traditions. The camp bed at lower left (covered with Grand Canyon stripe, in Sunset) is topped with a cushion upholstered with the Harding pattern, named in honor of President Warren G. Harding’s wife, Florence, who was gifted a blanket with this motif in 1923 by Cayuse and Umatilla tribal members while visiting Oregon. The pillow-packed tent includes a cozy throw in a multicolored Chief Joseph pattern, named after the renowned Nez Perce leader.
Pendleton’s national parks collection dates back to the early 1900s. In the days of frontier trading posts, the number of stripes on a blanket corresponded to its weight and value. Through the years, the pattern and color of the stripes has been fine-tuned to represent each park’s distinguishing hues and features—from rocks and dunes to mountains and waves. The resulting textiles are a tribute to the unique beauty of America’s national parks (Left: Yellowstone pattern, in Sunset. Right: Badlands pattern, in Pine).
The Kiva Steps pattern was inspired by the design of the ceremonial subterranean chambers (kivas) of Ancient Puebloan settlements. The sequence of squared steps is intended to echo the paths—both spiritual and physical—of entering and exiting the kiva.
The new line is available to the trade through Pindler, the Pendleton by Sunbrella collection can be found at Hoff Miller, at the Denver Design District. Retail prices start at $116/yard