Copenhagen-based designer Karina Nielsen Rios has developed a line of outdoor upholstery fabrics for Danish brand Kvadrat that are both hardwearing and eco-friendly.

The Patio fabrics are made with three colours of a highly durable, specially-developed Trevira CS yarn, a flame-retardant polyester.

With two colours used in the warp and one in the weft, the fabrics can look unicoloured or more textured depending on the level of contrast between the colours used.

The brand has also introduced an environmentally-focused coating for the yarn that doesn't contain fluorocarbon - a chemical finish that is typically applied to high-performance textiles to make them water, soil and oil-repellent.

Made up of compounds of fluorine and carbon, fluorocarbon finishes produce toxic by-products that persist in the environment, polluting the air and water systems.

The new finish, developed over the course of three years by textile designer Nielsen Rios and Kvadrat, repels liquid and is fast-drying. It also provides resistance against chlorine, sea water and is flame-retardant.

Due to its high-performance properties, the fabric can be used across all outdoor spaces, as well as areas with high-humidity and chlorine such as spas and indoor pools. In addition to furniture, it can also be used to make screens, parasols and umbrellas.