Artisanal ice cream protected by artisanal awning

Sunvas from swela for awnings

True expertise does not deny itself. That certainly applies to VanMartin from Hierden, where Martin Doornhof has been providing customized upholstery services for more than twenty years. Ship upholstery is the core business, thanks to the harbor in nearby Harderwijk. Doornhof has been self-employed for 28 years and knows the ropes. For about six years now, he has been gratefully using the Outdoor Fabrics supplied by swela. 

"Upholstery is an experiential craft," Doornhof opens the conversation. "That includes keeping up with the latest developments within your craft. That's why swela is an important supplier for us. The support we receive from them is top-notch and their cloth adds real value to the services we provide." 

Covering an awning fits perfectly within the picture
Whoever thinks of upholstering in Harderwijk thinks of VanMartin. So it happened that an artisan ice cream parlor knocked on Doornhof's door, asking if he could provide an existing awning with new fabric. "For us this is certainly not an everyday job, but it is a job that fits within our field of expertise." The ice cream parlor had received a new house style and the existing awning in blue and white striped cloth no longer matched that. A black-and-white cloth had to be placed on the awning, entirely in style with the facade. Doornhof, well acquainted with swela's polyester Outdoor Fabrics, immediately thought of sunvas. "For the fabric color, I got advice from swela. Klaas-Jan Postma suggested the color 31309 from the sunvas collection. A beautiful, classic-looking block stripe that honors the facade of the ice cream parlor." 

VanMartin does not shy away from any form of confection and has the appropriate machines for everything. "It might have made sense to order the 120 cm strips pre-made, but we had them delivered on rolls," Doornhof says. "From stitching the strips, covering the awning to making the scalloped edge, everything was done in-house. For us, the processing of sunvas is slightly different from Outdoor Fabrics; the awning fabric is slightly more rigid. For us this is a plus, because it results in extra tight upholstery work! The awning has become a picture and a real jewel on the facade. The customer is happy and the guests of the ice cream parlor are happy too! The overall appearance of the ice cream parlor delivers an authentic experience." 

The scalloped edge is recreated using the original flounce as an example.

Lounge cushions and outdoor curtains on demand
VanMartin's services also include making outdoor curtains and lounge cushions with Outdoor Fabrics. A previous edition of Z&R mentioned that swela advises the awning trade to sell added value by also selling outdoor curtains and lounge cushions - whether or not they match the awning fabric. "With VanMartin as an official supplier of swela Outdoor Fabrics in made-up form, the threshold for the awning dealer to get started with this is further lowered," said swela director Wouter Hof. 

"Especially for our swela customers, we have developed a handy price list that lists the most common types of pillows," Doornhof responds. "You don't have to know anything about it yourself to get a good quote quickly. We then gladly take the order and make the most beautiful cushions or outdoor curtains, in the requested swela design. When I see what distinctiveness we create ourselves in our region with these products, I can only conclude that it would be a shame if the sun protection professional missed this opportunity!"