VELVET CRUSH Well and truly out of its 70’s cliché, velvet’s rise in popularity is still soaring and set to continue into 2018.

FROM UP NORTH Our blinds are manufactured with passion right here in Yorkshire and there is a lot to love about Gods own County!

STATEMENT ART Set to be one of the biggest interior design trends of 2018, digital print can bring the gallery to your window.

PANEL BLINDS Far more than just shade management, there’s a lot of versatility with the unsung hero of the blind world.

JAN/FEB/MAR 2018 ISSUE 001

‘yarn’ noun

1. a continuous twisted strand of natural or synthetic fibres, used in textiles.

verb 2. Informal. to spin a yarn; tell stories.

C O N T E N T S 04 VELVET CRUSH

The contemporary boom of this classic soft furnishing fabric.

05 UP NORTH

An overview of why we are so inspired by our beautiful county.

09 STATEMENT WINDOWS

Cheat your way into the statement art trend using your window dressings.

12 QUICK TRENDS

A brief look at the interior design trends on everyone’s lips right now.

13 5 REASONS - PANEL BLINDS

Massively underrated, panel blinds offer more flexibility than any other product.

15 FOCUS ON - QUALITY

An insight into the care and ‘right first time’ attitude here at Excel.

02

W E LC O M E Welcome to the first issue of Excel Yarn, a quarterly publication new for 2018. Inspiration, trend commentaries and an overview of our news, products and ethos. As this is traditionally holiday planning season, we thought we’d start the year off by sharing a little of our beautiful county with you - its the perfect place for an Easter break and ideal to tie in with a visit to Excel. Each issue we will be doing a ‘focus on’ different areas of the company - starting with quality, something we are incredibly passionate about not just for our benefit but for yours too. Not sure if you’ve heard, but we panel blinds at Excel - as the ultimate style choice for bi-fold doors there isn’t really an alternative but we hope you enjoy a few more reasons why we champion them! Enjoy.

They say 10 mins of relaxation a day can do wonders for you and with that in mind; this publication is best enjoyed feet up, with a cuppa.

Velvet

CRUSH

Velvet- Dove

E lle D ec o r / Ph o to : D e b i Trelo ar & H ans Blo mqui s t / Publi s her : R yl and Pe te rs & Smal l

04

Velvet- Peacock

Velvet- Duck Egg

Velvet- Aubergine

DECADENT

&

OPULENT.....

...and perfect for bringing a splash of colour or a touch of elegance to existing decor, velvet is a key look that everyone is still craving. From stools in the kitchen to headboards in the bedroom the 3 most popular velvet saves on Pinterest are currently sofas, chairs and curtains. Velvet catches and reflects light in a way that is unique to other fabrics lending itself beautifully to soft furnishings and because of the way in which the fibres are woven and because they dye very well, colours appear more rich and deeper than they would with most other types of fabric. Our soft furnishings fabric Velvet Dove came in high on the best sellers towards the end of 2017 and this trend is set to keep rising in popularity into the summer. If the sheen of our velvets is a little much, the sumptuous softness of Opulence is the perfect option to get that luxury look without the glitz. The Excel Classic Collection contains all those rich, must have colours in the velvet trend along with complimentary fabrics to instantly get the look from roman blinds, curtains and cushions without replacing expensive furniture!

Opulance - Elephant

Opulance - Midnight

Velvet - Oyster

Velvet- Olive

07

UP NORTH Welcome to our home... It’s easy to be inspired from here - in the heart of Yorkshire, an area steeped in history for textile manufacturing. Nationally, the story of industry in Yorkshire is all too often filed under ‘history’ since the mill expansion that helped fuel the Industrial Revolution gave way to a long, painful decline - but actually manufacturing ‘up ‘ere’ is far from dead, the North is thriving and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else! From lively cities to pretty villages, rolling countryside and a grand coastline, Yorkshire has so much to offer. There is a wealth of passion in these hills that also shows in the dedication, motivation and professionalism of our employees and it’s a breath of fresh air but don’t just take our word, come and visit us and see for yourself. Right on our doorstep in Huddersfield, a quirky corner of West Yorkshire on the edge of the Colne Valley, there is enough to keep you entertained on a short break - traditional market towns, stunning scenery, walking and cycling opportunities abound. Just a stones throw from Excel you can visit Holmfirth - the picturesque setting for Last of the Summer Wine, the riverside village of Marsden on the Real Ale Trail or discover the infamous pie town of Denby Dale.

Standedge Marsden Image: Tim Green

Colne Valley

‘Eeh by gum’

Dialect orig. North England 1. A term primarily used by those outside of Yorkshire mistakenly thinking it is in common usage. 2.‘Oh my goodness’

06

Ilkley Moor (bar t’at) Image: Tim Green

If your tastes are more cosmopolitan then Leeds, Yorkshire’s 21st century capital has everything you would expect from one of the UK’s leading cities, some of the best shopping, art, style and culture in the country - and some of the best bars too! Come in summer and enjoy the ‘coast with the most’, Scarborough is believed to be the first seaside resort in the world at over 400 years old but Whitby is the place for a slower pace with a fascinating history, a ruined abbey, and world famous fish & chips. Finally, around here it’s all about the refreshments and not just ale and gravy! From Michelin starred restaurants ( The Man Behind the Curtain, Leeds; The Box Tree, Ilkley ) to Yorkshire pudding wrap vendors ( Long Can Hall, Halifax York Roast Co, York ) there is something delicious for every taste and budget right across the region, simply wash it down with some Yorkshire tea, Black Sheep or Mason’s gin. We all have our favourites and we’d be happy to point you in their direction!

Yorkshire Pudding Wrap

Victoria Quarter Leeds

Whitby

Castle Hill Huddersfield Image: Mark Wood

Fin d o u t mo re at w w w.yo rkshi re. co m

WELCOME TO CASA – YORKSHIRE’S FINEST LAKESIDE VENUE! Having been extensively re-furbished in recent years, Casa has grown from humble beginnings to become a lively bar, restaurant, event venue and more; all overlooking the picturesque Cromwell Lake. Casa is situated in Brighouse, West Yorkshire and has a 150-seater restaurant, large bar and 10 en-suite rooms. Our purpose-built lake-view venue is one of the area’s most sought after Wedding locations, offering private terrace areas and stunning views of the surrounding countryside. S TAY AT C A S A W H E N Y O U V I S I T E X C E L A N D G E T A N E X C L U S I V E 1 0 % D I S C O U N T O N D I N N E R , B E D & B R E A K FA S T.

QUOTE CODE: EXCEL10

Phone Us: 01484 401 717 Email Us: info@casabrighouse.com V i s i t U s : 2 8 1 E l l a n d R o a d , B r i g h o u s e , H u d d e r s f i e l , W e s t Yo r k s h i r e , H D 6 2 R G

H A R E W O O D

C O M I N G

S O O N

09

A R T WStatement I N D O WArt S The trend making all the 2018 interior style discussions at the moment is the one for Statement Art. The boho gallery style walls of mismatched frames, photography and art all together in one area is just that bit chaotic and everything is gearing towards a more subtle, classic vibe. Go bigger, go statement-making this year! Letting one carefully curated, eye-catching piece of artwork do all the talking is a great way to add some interest to a space in your home or creating a striking and impactful focus piece in any room. It’s a bold, singular assertion that actually creates a stunning look and we’ve turned it on its head a little: Investing in a “statement art piece” may seem limiting and expensive, but there is definitely scope for a trend alternative with digital print. Your window space is it’s very own light box that can open up a whole new world of opportunities for artwork display, particularly if you are limited on wall space. Our services can print onto roller, vertical, 25mm venetian and new this year, panel blinds... the only limit is your own imagination. *some commercial images may be subject to licensed purchase.

www.etsy.com/au/shop/Artzaro

Blind Image Artist: www.redbubble.com/people/isabela

Blind Image ŠBettmann Collection/Corbis

...EFFORTLESS SHADING AT T H E T O U C H O F A BUT TON.

Sit back and relax with the Somfy Connexoon system controlling your blinds from a smartphone. Fully programmable, the timer function can also open or close on the days and schedules of your choice and enable presence simulation for your own security. Excel carries a comprehensive range of motorisation options: C O N TA C T S A L E S & S E R V I C E F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N 0 1 4 8 4 4 5 2 0 1 0

12

Q U IC K T R E N DS SAGE

The new neutral in town sage is soft, muted and versatile enough to decorate with in any area of the home.

B OTA N I C A LS

From patterned house plants to botanical prints - this is one of the easiest trends to implement simply by visiting the garden centre or updating your window dressings!

L E ATH E R & VE LV E T

The older & more distressed the leather, the better. Pair with velvet accessories or even replace irreparable leather seat cushions with velvet ones for a bespoke, individual look.

STATE ME N T CE I L I N G S

Discover the fifth wall and transform a space from the top down using texture, a striking shade of paint or feature wallpaper. Funch a

l - Sum

mer

al

go

di

In

ch

n Fu

Velvet- Peacock

Source: via Pinterest/The Creativity Exchange

m

ti.co

san

arti

5 13

Reasons why...

PANEL BLINDS

01

Panel blinds are the ideal choice for impact across all kinds of windows and doors but they also offer a flexibility that can transform a space and add something a little different to an interior design scheme.

MA K E A STAT EME N T WI T H D O O R S AN D WI N D O W S Combine pattern & plain, or different coloured fabrics to achieve an eye catching block effect, perfect for adding personality.

02

D I V I D E A S PACE WI T H M O D E S T S T Y L E A modern twist on Japanese room dividers, control privacy and space with as much subtlety or impact as you desire -we’ve even known them be used as an alternative to wardrobe doors in awkward spaces.

CO NT E MPOR A RY, EN ERG Y E F F I C I E NT, L I GH T CO N T R O L

03

Panel blinds are not only designed to be stylish and long lasting but to reduce solar gain in summer and insulate in winter.

T H E PE R F E C T SOLU T I O N FO R B I - F O L D D O O R S

04

Bi-fold doors are a stunning and ever more popular addition to modern homes, dress them in a way that really shows them off.

B OLD A ND F UN C T IO N AL I N CO M M E R CI AL S E T T I N GS Shade large commercial property windows and reception areas with ease, you could even add branding with digital print options. R em em b er, we now offer dig ital print o n pan el blinds for m aximu m desig n impac t!

05

F O C U SQuality@ ON “Q UA L I T Y M U S T B E D E S I G N E D A N D B U I LT I N TO A P R O D U C T ”

Sarah Beaumont, Excel’s Quality Manager gives an insight into the passion for quality that runs throughout our business. Here at Excel we recognize and understand the needs and expectations of our customers and we take pride in our high standards, producing service and products that are paramount to our business but more importantly, will also contribute positively to yours.

16

With quality at the forefront of our minds we are committed to producing a product of the highest practicable quality, reliability and consistency and we continually strive for improvements right from initial design, component parts and material used through to the finished product. To deliver this, we have recently introduced an in house random, on line checking procedure carried out daily by our section team leaders with the aim of being able to cover 10% of blinds manufactured within any given day within any part of the manufacturing process. The Management team repeat the above process daily and backed up with our internal “RFT” Right first time reporting methods we have noted an increase in faults picked up internally before the product reaches our customers. This instigated ongoing & future training plans, modifications to machinery/ equipment and has helped us achieve our goal - a visible reduction of substandard product reaching the end user and we feel that it is this attention to detail that sets us apart from our competition. They say that perfection is an impossible goal but we’d like to be extremely close as we aim to maintain this reduction and improve year on year.

“True perfection is not attainable.. ..but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence”

HAVE YOU GOT YOUR COPY? As you may already be aware our New & Updated 2018 Trade Price List is out now. Once again we have strived to make it easier to use and navigate with it’s colour coded section dividers, greater technical information and less price add-on’s. There have been many new additions including our soft cloth collections and some excellent motorisation choices but also the inevitable discontinued items (see the fabric guides in the book for more information).

GE T YOUR EXCEL PRICE LIST: C O N TA C T S A L E S O N 0 1 4 8 4 4 5 2 0 1 0

AVAILABLE NOW

K E E P

U P

T O

D AT E

Until the next issue, you can keep updated with Excel on Social Media - anything you tag us in we promise to repost.

­

@Excel_Blinds_UK

/ExcelManufacturingBlinds

Excelgb2005

Excel Manufacturing Ltd

Also look out for our interim Email Shots for instant news. If you’d like to be added to our contact list, please email info@excelgb.com

Excel Manufacturing Ltd Unit 1 & 2 Fieldhouse Park, Old Fieldhouse Lane, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD2 1FA Tel: 01484 452010 Fax: 01484 452015 Email: sales@excelgb.com Web: www.excelgb.com