7 Years of Kravet Fabric Orders: Showroom Mistakes, Waterproof Polyester Lies, and How to Clean Viscose

I've been handling fabric orders for interior designers for seven years. In that time, I've personally made (and documented) nine significant mistakes totaling roughly $12,000 in wasted budget. Now I maintain our team's checklist. Here are the questions I wish someone had forced me to read before I placed my first Kravet fabric showroom order.

1. What do first-time buyers miss at the Kravet fabric showroom?
2. Is Kravet drapery fabric worth the premium?
3. Is all polyester fabric waterproof?
4. Can you use a waterproof fabric stiffener on any fabric?
5. How to clean viscose fabric without ruining it?
6. Why did my Kravet order end up costing more than the quote?

1. What do first-time buyers miss at the Kravet fabric showroom?

My first Kravet showroom order was for a client's living room. The fabric looked perfect in the sample book, so I calculated yardage the same way I did for basic cotton and sent the order. What I missed: pattern repeat. Kravet's drapery fabrics often have a repeat that eats two to three times more yardage than you expect. Did I check? No. The fabric arrived 12 yards short, which meant a reorder, a week delay, and a $480 rush-shipping bill.

Now I ask for the technical specs on every showroom fabric: pattern repeat, usable width, dye lot, and shrinkage. I also have the showroom staff double-check my calculations. It takes five minutes. It has caught 47 potential errors in the past 18 months, and probably saved me from a similar failure.

2. Is Kravet drapery fabric worth the premium?

Short answer: it depends. I've ordered Kravet linen at $48 a yard and silk blends at $180. To be fair, the silk was gorgeous, but the client's cat destroyed it within three months. Kravet's real value, in my experience, is in their performance and contract-grade fabrics—especially for drapery. You can find blackout, wrinkle-resistant, and high-durability options that genuinely outlast cheaper alternatives.

But the premium doesn't make sense if you pick the fabric first and ask about logistics later. One time I had two days to decide before a client's deadline. I chose a Kravet fabric without checking stock in the U.S. The lead time was three weeks. The deadline didn't move. That's the mistake: choosing beauty over availability. Now I ask the showroom what's in stock and what's special order before I fall in love.

3. Is all polyester fabric waterproof?

Polyester fabric is not automatically waterproof. I ruined an entire set of outdoor cushions by trusting a sample book that called a polyester blend 'waterproof.' It rained. We soaked. The cushions took a week to dry and grew mildew.

Here's what I learned: in the U.S., if a product is marketed with the term 'waterproof,' the claim has to be substantiated—per FTC guidelines (ftc.gov), advertising must be truthful. But a polyester with a tight weave is often just water-resistant, not waterproof. It can handle light drizzle, not a downpour. If you need true waterproof fabric, look for a technical coating like TPU or PVC, or a performance brand specifically tested for hydrostatic head. And in a showroom line like Kravet's indoor/outdoor collection, ask for the test data.

After choosing the 'waterproof' poly, I kept second-guessing myself. What if I was overthinking it? The next rainy day gave me the answer.

4. Can you use a waterproof fabric stiffener on any fabric?

Searching for 'waterproof fabric stiffener' usually points to products that claim to do both. I tried one on a Kravet cotton blend for a client's pleated lampshade. The result? Fabric stiff enough to crack, but not waterproof at all. It poured. The shade looked like origami gone wrong.

The lesson: stiffener and waterproofer are separate functions. Use stiffener for structure, then apply a durable water-repellent spray for wet weather. And always test on a sample swatch. I've ruined roughly $300 in fabric by skipping that step. Now our team has a 'test first' rule written on the whiteboard.

5. How to clean viscose fabric without ruining it?

Viscose is one of those fibers that looks like silk and behaves like a little bit of lying. My first viscose blunder: I hand-washed a viscose drapery panel because the label said 'hand wash.' It came out of the sink two inches shorter, with a texture like sandpaper.

The truth is viscose (also called rayon) swells when wet and can lose strength. Even gentle washing is risky. Here's my checklist: if the care label says 'dry clean only,' believe it. If hand washing is allowed, use cold water, a mild detergent, no wringing, and dry flat in the shade. Spot-clean whenever possible. And if it's a Kravet fabric with a specialty finish, test for colorfastness on an inconspicuous seam. It's happened often enough in my own studio to call it a pattern.

6. Why did my Kravet order end up costing more than the quote?

Because I only asked for the fabric price. After seven years, I've learned to ask 'what's NOT included?' before 'what's the price?' A $3,200 quote doesn't always cover cutting fees, shipping, matching, or a minimum order penalty. The vendor isn't trying to trick you—they're just answering what you asked.

What I now do: request a full breakdown before placing the order. Sample charges, cutting fees, freight, handling, taxes. If a supplier lists everything upfront and the total looks higher, that supplier often costs less in the end. The certainty is worth it. And in a high-end showroom like Kravet, you can ask for bookkeeping details—they're used to trade customers who actually track costs.

That's the transparency lesson. It's not about the cheapest quote; it's about the quote you can trust.