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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
