Serenity: The New Generation of Contract Fabrics by Gancedo

For years, talking about contract fabrics mainly meant talking about performance. Resistance to wear, ease of maintenance and compliance with certain technical requirements played a major role in the selection process. But professional spaces have changed too. Hotels, restaurants, offices and hospitality environments are now looking for warmer, less impersonal interiors, with a much more considered relationship with materials. In this context, fabric takes on a different role: beyond being durable, it must also contribute to creating a particular atmosphere.

Serenity, Gancedo’s new offering for contract projects, emerges at the intersection of technical performance and wellbeing. A collection of 93 references that embraces enveloping textures, natural colours and a contemporary aesthetic inspired by Nordic design, created to remain relevant over time.

Technical performance and comfort

The evolution of contract design has a great deal to do with the way we currently understand collective-use spaces. If the priority in the past may simply have been for a fabric to withstand heavy use, today it is expected to do much more: withstand intensive use, be washable, meet safety requirements and, at the same time, feel appealing both visually and to the touch.

Serenity brings these performance qualities together in fabrics that achieve up to 100,000 Martindale cycles and are both washable and flame-retardant. Yet the technical aspect does not feel like an aesthetic constraint. On the contrary, the collection aims to integrate the demands of contract environments into a warm, soft and versatile proposal suited to different types of projects. Ultimately, it is a way of understanding contract fabrics in which performance and comfort are no longer opposing concepts.

Texture takes centre stage over patterns

One of the defining characteristics of contemporary interiors is the growing importance of surfaces. Rather than highly decorative fabrics or patterns that dictate the overall look, textures make it possible to create calmer environments and introduce depth without overwhelming the space. Serenity operates precisely within this territory. The collection brings together bouclés, chenilles, wool-inspired textures and finishes reminiscent of suede, leather or mohair, offering different possibilities for upholstered furniture.

Bruma, with its mohair velvet-like appearance, brings softness and sophistication; Velaris plays with the volume of a loop-effect chenille; Alba offers a textile alternative to suede, with a matt surface that is particularly pleasant to the touch; and Calma introduces a more rugged loop texture while remaining flexible and comfortable. Different expressions of the same idea: that a fabric designed for contract environments can also have a strong sensory dimension.

A serene aesthetic for new interiors

Serenity’s Nordic inspiration connects with a trend that has been gaining momentum in interior design: spaces that are less rigid, warmer and designed to convey a sense of calm. It is not about reproducing a conventional Nordic aesthetic, but rather about drawing on some of its key principles — natural tones, a pleasant tactile quality, simplicity and materials that invite touch — and bringing them into contemporary interiors. Marea, for example, interprets this sensibility through a coarse-textured cheviot-style fabric with a two-tone optical effect, particularly well suited to upholstered pieces with curved shapes and generous volumes. Numa, meanwhile, features a single-sided construction that facilitates upholstery and helps keep the fabric stable during use. In both cases, the design is conceived around the material’s own performance, something especially relevant when working with furniture intended for intensive use.
 

A natural colour palette that embraces colour

The colour palette also says a great deal about how contract interiors are evolving. Neutrals continue to play a fundamental role because they allow for long-lasting projects and work well with a wide range of materials, but they are no longer limited to a succession of whites and beiges. Serenity expands this foundation with greys, browns and blacks, alongside earthy tones, burgundies, violets and mahogany shades, while introducing more contemporary nuances such as greens, burnt oranges, warm blues, creams and earthy pinks.

The result is an easy-to-coordinate palette with enough variety to prevent professional spaces from feeling predictable. In this sense, colour is once again gaining importance in contract design, although it does so through more nuanced shades that can be easily integrated into projects intended to remain contemporary for years to come.

Designing for today with tomorrow’s use in mind

Perhaps the most significant change in contract fabrics is that durability is no longer understood solely in terms of physical resistance. A fabric may withstand thousands of uses, but it must also continue to make sense within a space over time. This is why choosing textures, colours and finishes that work with different furniture styles is so important, as is the ability to adapt to projects that do not seek an overly distinctive aesthetic.

Serenity brings together these two requirements: performance designed for professional use and an aesthetic flexible enough to complement a wide range of interior design concepts. Because in today’s contract spaces, fabric is no longer simply what covers an armchair or sofa. It is part of the experience of the space and, precisely for this reason, its selection has become far more interesting.