The fabric you choose for your bespoke couch is just as important as the size, shape, and cushion selection (if not more!). Here, we’ll go through our top tips for the best couch textiles to assist you make sure your sofa fits all of your comfort and functionality requirements.
What is the best and most practical fabric for a sofa?
Even new sofas eventually need to be repaired and replaced upholstery. However, the modern choice of fabrics makes you confused. All existing options can be classified as follows:
Natural fabrics
The materials are characterized by durability and practicality, resistance to wear and tear, the original appearance. The category can include leather, suede, fur;
Textile
The category can be characterized as follows: a variety of colors and shades, excellent tactile and visual characteristics. On a sofa with a covering of tapestry, velour, jacquard or chenille will be very comfortable to rest, enjoying a pleasant conversation with friends or immersed in your favorite book;
Fabric-based upholstery category. Material for sofas
How to choose upholstery for upholstered furniture
Before you opt for materials of a certain color or texture, you should consider the peculiarities of operation of upholstered furniture.
For sofas in the living room the best choice will be natural leather or practical fabrics with a clear pattern (it can be jacquard, tapestry). The selected material should convey the character of the owners, reflect the lifestyle of the owners of the house and at the same time be as easy to clean as possible, since the whole family will spend their free time on it.
For kitchen furniture, the best solution would be the categories of fabrics that are easy to care for and repel odors. An excellent choice would be sofas with leather covering or upholstery with special Teflon impregnation, which can withstand wet cleaning and long, regular use.
To design upholstered furniture in the children’s room is better to choose upholstery with a calm, uniform pattern. Unchanging selection criteria: environmental friendliness, hypoallergenicity, ease of care. In contrast to the design of living rooms or kitchens, it is recommended to choose a natural material (tapestry, chenille, cotton) for the children’s room.
If the sofa is used as a sleeping place, it is advisable to choose upholstery materials, which include synthetic fibers. Such a solution contributes to the resistance of the fabric to abrasion, wear and tear quickly.
To decorate furniture in offices, hallways are often used natural or artificial leather.If the sofa is located in a room where it is customary to smoke, it is more practical to choose an upholstery that repels odors (leather, Chenille).
What is the difference between the fabric categories for the sofa – the characteristics of the most popular materials?
The choice is ideal if the upholstery complements the interior style, fully meets the requirements of the buyer, gives an unforgettable tactile sensation and is able to withstand very intense operating loads.
Flock
The most widespread and popular upholstery is represented by a rich assortment of color palettes in different price categories (from budget versions to luxury products). The fabric is suitable for almost all situations and has proven itself in families with small children and pets. Even if the sofa is located on the veranda, the coating will not “get stiff” when it cools down.
Chenille
The fabric is soft and pleasantly tactile, great for pet owners and is often used to upholster furniture in children’s rooms.
Natural leather
Good leather just can’t be cheap. Practical fabric for sofa upholstery is often used in expensive hotels, conference rooms, home libraries, executive offices, rich living rooms.
Leather sofa looks expensive and luxurious, pleasantly in harmony with the shades of the rest of the decor. The furniture can last for decades, retaining its original appearance. The advantages of choosing:
- durability;
- resistance to moisture;
- visual appeal.
Velour
This soft covering is guaranteed to please people who want to create the most cozy and warm atmosphere in the room. It’s perfect for romantic gatherings or holidays with children. The combination of natural cotton and wool gives a very cute appearance and amazing tactile sensation.
The coating has the following advantages:
- an extensive range of colors;
- high margin of safety;
- the fabric is air permeable;
- high thermal conductivity (unlike leather, velour is always warm to the touch);-environmental friendliness.
How to choose a fabric for the sofa
Each type of upholstery material has its own characteristics associated with the characteristics of the composition, production technology. All parameters are necessarily indicated in the passport of the product.
Attention deserves the following characteristics:
- resistance to thread wear and tear, abrasion of pile;
- resistance to color fade;
- stability (stretching and shrinkage of the fabric, possible shrinkage);
- peeling (the formation of lint);
- the presence of impregnation, additional processing;
- air permeability (the higher the above parameter, the less chance to find cracks on the cover);
- resistance of products to the effects of fire (fire resistance);
- environmental friendliness.What fabric you choose depends solely on your individual preferences and wishes. The main criterion – the finished composition should please you, give comfort and maximum comfort.
