A fabric can look beautiful online and still feel different at home, turn out darker or suit the shape of your furniture less well. In an upholstery fabric showroom in Antwerp you don't just see colours on a screen – you feel what a fabric really does: how soft velvet is, how sturdy a woven upholstery fabric feels and how much character bouclé or corduroy gives a chair.
If you want to reupholster a dining chair, restore a worn sofa or make furniture for a restaurant or bar, that comparison is invaluable. You make better decisions when you look at fabric, foam, finishing and use together. That way you avoid a beautiful choice turning out to be an impractical one later on.
Why visit an upholstery fabric showroom in Antwerp?
You choose upholstery fabric with your eyes and your hands. The texture determines not only how a piece of furniture looks, but also how it performs in daily use. A fine velvet gives a luxurious, soft look, while a coarse weave often has a more natural and bold appearance. Faux leather is easy to wipe clean and therefore suitable for heavy use, but it is worked differently from a stretchy chenille or a thick bouclé.
In a showroom you can put colours side by side. That matters more than you might think. Beige is not just beige: a warm sand tone works beautifully with oak, while a greyish beige blends more quietly with concrete, black metal or a modern interior. The light in the room also plays a role. So, if possible, bring a photo of the room, a paint sample from the wall or a cushion.
For trade customers, a showroom visit is above all efficient. You can compare qualities for a project, select a suitable fabric for several pieces and check straight away which materials you need to work with it. For DIYers, personal advice gives extra confidence, especially on a first upholstery project.
Which upholstery fabric suits your project?
There is no single best fabric. The right choice depends on the furniture, how it is used and the look you want. A decorative armchair in a bedroom can be softer and more refined than a family sofa that children, pets and guests sit on every day.
For sofas and armchairs
For sofas and armchairs, comfort, durability and care are the main considerations. A sturdy woven upholstery fabric is often a safe choice for everyday use. Chenille feels pleasantly soft and looks warm, but always check that the quality matches the intensity of use. Velvet can be surprisingly strong, although the pile sometimes shows subtle colour differences when you brush over it. That is part of the fabric's character.
Do you have pets? Then don't choose based on a "pet friendly" label alone. Also look at the weave and whether loose hairs are easy to remove. A very open structure can be more sensitive to claws than a tightly woven quality. No fabric is completely immune to sharp claws, but the right quality saves a lot of frustration.
For dining chairs
Dining chairs have to cope with friction, stains and lots of movement. Here, easy care and strength are often more important than an extremely soft feel. Faux leather and skai are practical if you want to clean quickly. A water-repellent upholstery fabric can also be a good choice, but water-repellent doesn't mean stains can be left indefinitely. Blotting quickly is always wise.
Think about the shape of the chair too. A chair with tight curves or deep buttoning demands more flexibility from the fabric than a simple, flat seat. A thicker fabric can look beautiful on a straight seat but be harder to work around fine details.
For contract, hospitality and bespoke work
In restaurants, offices, hotels and other contract settings, the bar is higher. Furniture is used intensively and has to stay presentable for a long time. Then it's not just the colour or price per metre that counts, but also durability, cleanability, fire-retardancy requirements where applicable and the ongoing availability of the fabric.
For furniture makers, interior fitters and upholsterers, it is smart to reserve enough metres in advance, especially for larger runs. Fabrics with a pronounced pile, stripe, check or pattern also need extra allowance for waste. In the showroom you can discuss this directly before the work starts.
How to assess fabric like a professional
Holding a sample is a good start, but don't judge it on colour alone. Run your hand over the surface and see how the fabric reacts. Does it feel compact or loose? Is the backing firm enough for the type of furniture? Does the fabric stretch, and is that stretch desirable for your application?
Then look at scale. A coarse weave can look particularly good on a large sofa, but quickly dominate a small footstool. Conversely, a fine fabric can look calm and elegant on a generous corner sofa, while the same fabric is less striking on a single chair.
Ask about care as well. Some fabrics only need regular vacuuming with a soft brush; others can be cleaned carefully with a slightly damp cloth. Don't just use harsh cleaning products. They can damage a protective layer, leave rings or affect the colour.
If you are torn between two colours, it's best to take a sample home. Look at it in daylight, under artificial light and next to the other materials in the room. A showroom helps you choose, but your own interior ultimately decides whether the colour is right.
More than just fabric: think about the whole build-up
A successful upholstery project doesn't depend on the cover alone. If a chair sags, a sofa loses its shape or the edges aren't finished neatly, new upholstery fabric won't fix that on its own. Sometimes you need new filling, Dacron, foam, webbing, glue, thread, piping or fixings.
That is exactly why it helps to look at all the components together. For a simple chair seat you may only need fabric, foam and staples. For a complete armchair, the springing, the inner construction and the finishing may also need attention. If you measure carefully and check the construction beforehand, you buy more precisely and avoid unnecessary delays.
Feel free to bring photos of the underside, corners and damaged parts of your furniture to the showroom. For a professional, those details often say more than a general description. When in doubt, honest advice is worth more than quickly choosing the cheapest solution.
Well prepared for your showroom visit
A visit is much more focused if you know in advance what you are coming for. Measure the width, length and height of the furniture and note whether it has loose cushions, a fixed back, armrests or a pattern that needs to match. For a sofa, a rough estimate is rarely enough. Ordering too little fabric can be a problem, especially if the same batch is no longer available later.
It also helps to know what atmosphere you are after: sleek and modern, warm and rustic, hotel chic, retro or simply very practical. You don't need to know technical terms. A photo of an interior or piece of furniture you like often gives a clear direction.
At BLADI Upholstery Fabrics, Boomsesteenweg 947 C in Antwerp, you can view and compare a large part of the range. That makes it easier to match upholstery fabrics, faux leather and the upholstery supplies you need. If you can't decide straight away, fabric samples remain a smart intermediate step.
From inspiration to furniture that will last for years again
Reupholstering a piece of furniture isn't a quick colour change; it's a chance to choose comfort, looks and practicality properly all over again. The most beautiful fabric is the one that suits how you live, work or welcome guests. Sometimes that's an eye-catching bouclé, sometimes a tough faux leather and sometimes a calm woven quality that stays beautiful for years.
Take time to feel, compare and ask questions. With the right fabric and good preparation, a worn piece of furniture doesn't just get a new look – it becomes a piece you enjoy using every day again.
