Inside the factory: Edmund Bell – what’s new from the home of technical textiles

With more than 160 years of technical textiles expertise behind it, Edmund Bell is a formidable name within the contract and decorative fabrics sector. As it stands in 2026, the company has evolved from a traditional apparel weaver into a highly specialised, technically driven partner to the global hospitality industry.

Founded in the 19th century, Edmund Bell has built its reputation on technical textiles, particularly within hospitality environments where durability, safety and functionality are non-negotiable. Its product offering today spans blackout and dim-out fabrics, decorative sheers and printed textiles, each developed with an emphasis on compliance, longevity and aesthetic versatility. While the company’s roots are steeped in traditional textile manufacturing, the factory visit quickly reveals a business that is still deeply invested in innovation and continual development.

Image credit: Edmund Bell

From the outset, the breadth of Edmund Bell’s operation is apparent. The business has long been recognised for its mastery of blackout fabrics — a cornerstone of hospitality interiors – but today its offering extends far beyond light exclusion alone. Decorative woven designs, upholstery, sheers and printed textiles now sit alongside highly technical window solutions, all developed with compliance, durability and aesthetic flexibility in mind.

This approach is particularly evident in the company’s latest blackout developments. Blackout fabrics remain central to Edmund Bell’s hospitality proposition, not only because of their functional importance in guest rooms, but also due to the sheer technical challenge involved in producing them well; especially at extra-wide widths. During the tour, attention turns to newer constructions that explore texture, reversibility and material innovation alongside total light exclusion.

One such development is Diversity, a premium laminated blackout that reflects the conversation around double-sided fabrics taking place on the factory floor. Designed as a ‘sandwich’ construction, Diversity delivers 100% blackout using fabric faces on both sides with a central flame-retardant acrylic layer. This allows for complete privacy and light control while maintaining a refined, textile-led aesthetic. A softly textured weave on one face offers a luxurious handle, while the reverse introduces subtle melange effects that add depth and visual interest.

Alongside this, sustainability emerges as a key driver of product development. Throughout the tour, the team discusses the challenge of balancing recycled content with durability, flame retardancy and long-term performance – particularly within contract environments.

These conversations are directly reflected in Maverick, a recycled blackout inspired by nature’s raw textures. Combining slub yarns with flat threads in a characterful dobby weave, Maverick delivers a relaxed, tactile surface with subtle wood-like effects. The face fabric is made from 100% recycled polyester, resulting in 57% recycled content overall once coated, demonstrating a considered and practical approach to responsible materials.

Texture and tactility continue to play a central role in Edmund Bell’s newer collections. Evolve, finished as an extra-wide blackout at 300cm, draws inspiration from industrial modernism and urban architecture. Featuring a wool-like yarn aesthetic and a contemporary grid structure formed through dobby weaving, Evolve delivers visual depth alongside a soft, tactile handle. Its balanced palette of beiges and greys, complemented by carefully curated accent colours, positions it as a highly practical yet design-led solution for modern hospitality schemes.

Perhaps the clearest expression of Edmund Bell’s technical confidence, however, comes in Quest –  a woven blackout that achieves complete light exclusion without the use of a coating. During the tour, discussions around dense construction, durability and pinhole elimination are brought to life through this fabric. Woven with inherently flame-retardant yarns, Quest offers identical texture on both sides, making it fully reversible and exceptionally versatile. Extra-wide at 300cm, washable up to 72°C and suitable for healthcare environments too, it balances performance with a soft, voluminous handle. PFAS-free and fully recyclable at end of life, Quest reflects the company’s forward-thinking approach to both sustainability and legislative compliance.

Beyond blackout fabrics, the tour also explores Edmund Bell’s expanding capabilities in sheers and print. Printed sheers, in particular, generate visible excitement as samples are revealed. Their potential use as room dividers, curtained walls or layered decorative elements opens up new design possibilities beyond traditional window dressing.

Vibe | Image credit: Edmund Bell

This conversation aligns naturally with the introduction of Vibe, a new sheer that captures the relaxed elegance of linen through exceptional drape and a super-subtle textured surface. At 320cm wide, VIBE is designed for room-height applications without joins, delivering a clean, continuous finish that is especially valuable in hospitality interiors. Woven in two highly versatile shades – chalk and champagne – it celebrates understated texture, movement and material honesty.

What becomes increasingly clear as the visit unfolds is Edmund Bell’s ability to translate the complexity of technical textiles into simplicity for designers. Whether addressing flame retardancy, wash durability, light fastness or chemical compliance, the company’s goal is to remove barriers from the creative process. Designers are free to focus on look and feel, confident that performance requirements are already built in.

As the tour draws to a close, attention turns to the machinery behind the innovation – including the printer that enables rapid sampling and in-house trials. It’s a fitting end point, reinforcing the idea that Edmund Bell’s strength lies not just in its products, but in its people and processes.

In an industry where performance is non-negotiable and aesthetics increasingly define success, Edmund Bell occupies a compelling space. Its latest technical textiles collections – from tactile woven blackouts to relaxed recycled fabrics and elegant sheers – demonstrate a business that continues to evolve methodically and with purpose.

Want to discover more from Edmund Bell? Check out the brand’s new Print Collection brochure: 

Edmund Bell is one of our Recommended Suppliers and regularly features in our Supplier News section of the website. If you are interested in becoming one of our Recommended Suppliers, please email Katy Phillips.

Main image credit: Edmund Bell