However beautifully shaped a chair may be, with the wrong upholstery fabric it quickly looks worn or simply doesn't feel pleasant. The right fabric determines not only the colour of your furniture, but also seating comfort, service life, care and the look of the room. If you are reupholstering a dining chair, sofa, pouffe or headboard, it pays to look beyond a nice colour sample.
Which upholstery fabric suits your project?
Start with the furniture and its use. An armchair in a quiet reading corner has to put up with much less than a corner sofa where children, pets and visitors sit every day. For intensive use, it is better to choose a strong upholstery fabric with high abrasion resistance and a texture that makes small stains or hairs less visible. For an occasional chair in the bedroom, looks can count for more than maximum durability.
The shape of the furniture also plays a part. A fabric for tightly upholstered dining chairs must work nicely around corners and seams. For a deep, loose-cushioned sofa, a full chenille, bouclé or coarse-woven fabric is often a comfortable choice. On furniture with buttons, pleats or lots of curves, the stretch and thickness of the fabric are extra important. A very thick fabric can be beautiful, but is not always suitable for fine details.
Think about daily use first
Ask yourself a practical question: what will this furniture still need to withstand in three years' time? In a family with young children or pets, a melange colour, a sturdy weave and easy care are usually wiser than a very light, smooth fabric. In a restaurant, waiting area or rental property, not only abrasion resistance counts, but also the ability to clean quickly and regularly.
Faux leather and Skai are interesting, for example, when hygiene and wipeability are a priority. They are popular for dining chairs, treatment rooms, campers and boats. A woven upholstery fabric generally feels warmer and more natural, but depending on the quality needs a little more attention when it comes to stains. No material is best for every project – the right choice depends on the load and the atmosphere you want.
Woven fabric, chenille, velvet or bouclé?
Woven upholstery fabrics are highly versatile: a fine weave suits modern sofas and sleek chairs, while a coarse weave adds warmth and texture. Chenille feels soft and full, with an almost velvety effect without looking as smooth as velvet. A tightly woven chenille is a sensible middle ground if dirt or pet hair should not show too much. Velvet gives colour depth and is ideal for accent chairs, headboards and sofas; in that case choose an upholstery velvet made for furniture, not a thin decorative fabric. Bouclé suits rounded shapes and natural interiors, but its loops can snag more easily with climbing cats.
Faux leather often feels cooler than fabric and can be less comfortable in warm weather or direct sunlight. For a sofa people lounge on for long periods, some upholsterers therefore combine faux leather on the outside with a warm fabric on the seat and back cushions.
Assessing upholstery fabric: pay attention to these properties
A nice photo doesn't tell you everything. With upholstery fabric, technical properties make the difference between a good purchase and a fabric that doesn't suit your application.
Abrasion resistance for a longer life
Abrasion resistance indicates how much rubbing a fabric can withstand. For upholstery fabric it is often expressed in Martindale cycles. The higher the rating, the better the fabric generally withstands daily use. For a decorative piece of furniture a lower rating is often enough; for sofas, dining chairs and projects with intensive use, choose a higher abrasion resistance.
But don't look at just one number. The fibre composition, the density of the weave and the finish together determine how a fabric behaves in practice. A fabric with a coarse texture, for example, can be very strong, but with pets it may be more sensitive to claws catching on the loops. If you have cats, it is better to choose a densely woven or smoother surface.
Pilling, fading and pile direction
Pilling refers to small bobbles of fluff that can form through friction, especially on seats and armrests. A good pilling rating helps keep your furniture looking neat for longer. Also pay attention to light fastness if your sofa stands close to a large window. Dark and bright colours can fade over time in strong sunlight, regardless of the quality of the fabric.
With velvet and some chenilles, there is also a clear pile or fibre direction. If you cut lengths in different directions, the same colour can look visibly different. That effect is part of the character of these fabrics, but it does require accurate cutting and enough fabric in your calculation. For large pieces of furniture, it is wise to allow for extra consumption for a nice, continuous direction.
Stretch, thickness and workability
For a professional end result, fabric must not only look good but also be easy to work with. Thin, supple fabrics follow curves more easily. Thick bouclé or corduroy, on the other hand, adds volume and a pronounced texture, but can be trickier on sharp edges, decorative piping and deep buttoning.
A slightly stretchy velvet works well on rounded shapes and backrests, whereas a stiff, coarsely woven fabric demands more precision at corners and curves. For a beginner, a fabric with a stable backing is often easier to work with than a very thin or very stretchy quality.
So always check the width of the fabric, the pattern repeat and whether the design has a fixed direction. Stripes, large checks and botanical prints cause more cutting waste than a plain or finely melange fabric. For a first upholstery project, a plain woven upholstery fabric can be much more forgiving than a bold pattern. See, for example, our Lamala woven upholstery fabric.
Choosing colour and texture without regrets
A fabric sample looks different under shop lighting than at home in daylight. So order or look at samples before you buy metres of fabric. Place them on the furniture, next to the floor and against the wall. Look at the colour during the day, in the evening and under artificial light. This prevents a warm beige shade from suddenly looking greyish at home, or a dark green fabric turning out much bluer than expected.
Also consider the scale of the room. A coarse bouclé or wide-wale corduroy gives a sofa lots of character and softness, but can be dominant in a small room. A fine woven fabric looks calmer and combines more easily with existing cushions, curtains and rugs. Velvet brings depth and luxury, but because of its pile it often shows signs of use. For some that is a lively effect, for others a reason to choose a matt, melange fabric instead. See, for example, our Holland velvet.
In practical terms, mid-tones are often the most rewarding. Taupe, warm grey, olive, sand and melange earth tones hide light signs of use better than bright white or deep black. Still want a light sofa? Then choose a fabric with a melange design or a protective finish, and treat stains immediately.
If you want to combine several pieces of furniture, do not choose everything in exactly the same fabric. A calm base fabric on the sofa works well with an accent armchair in velvet, bouclé or faux leather. Repeat one colour tone in cushions, piping or curtains to give the room cohesion.
How much fabric do you need?
The amount of upholstery fabric you need depends on much more than the dimensions of the furniture. Think of loose cushions, armrests, a back that is also visible, pattern direction, seams and any piping. Especially with large designs or velvet, extra fabric is needed to lay all pieces in the same direction.
Measure each part separately and add room for turn-unders, seams and mistakes. If in doubt, ordering a little more is safer than ordering too little. An extra half metre may seem unnecessary, but it can be invaluable if a length is cut wrongly or if you later want to make an extra cushion. Professional upholsterers also calculate with experience and often see straight away where a pattern will be tricky to place.
Ideally, order enough from a single dye lot: small colour differences between production runs are possible with some upholstery fabrics, especially natural tones and melange fabrics. If the furniture is worn down to the foam, also plan for filling, fiberfill or new webbing. A new top layer over a sagging seat looks better, but does not sit any better.
For the finish you may need more than just fabric: Dacron for a soft, full look, foam for worn seats, strong threads, staples, adhesive, decorative nails or piping. If you lay everything out in advance, you can work more calmly and prevent a project from stalling once the furniture is already in pieces.
Care keeps your furniture looking good for longer
Regular care is easier than removing stubborn dirt. Vacuum upholstery fabrics carefully with a suitable attachment to remove dust, crumbs and hairs. Blot fresh stains immediately with a clean, absorbent cloth. Rubbing pushes dirt deeper into the fibres and can leave a lighter patch.
Don't just use any aggressive cleaning product. Always test a cleaner first on an inconspicuous offcut of fabric. The right method differs per material: faux leather needs a different approach from velvet, a wool blend or polyester chenille. So follow the care advice for the fabric you have chosen.
Turn loose cushions over when you can and change seats regularly. Avoid prolonged direct sunlight on bright or dark colours and use as little water as possible when cleaning. A water-repellent finish is handy in a family with children, but it does not mean a stain can be left indefinitely: blot spilled liquid quickly.
Choose with your hands, not just your eyes
Comparing online is ideal for putting colours, textures and properties side by side, but feel a fabric before making your final choice. A sample tells you how warm, soft, smooth or firm an upholstery fabric really is. That makes the choice not only more beautiful, but also more certain.
At BLADI upholstery fabrics you will find fabrics and upholstery supplies for a single chair as well as a complete interior. Take the time to weigh up your project, its use and the look you want. The fabric you then choose is not just a covering, but the material that keeps your furniture pleasant to use every day.
