All About Upholstery Materials: How to Select the Right Fabrics for Your Home
When selecting upholstered furnishings like a sofa or accent chair people often think about style, colors, and comfort, but another important factor that doesn’t get enough attention is the fabric type. The kind of upholstery is an extremely important factor that can make or break an item. For most homeowners durability is a priority – you want pieces that are made to last and will hold up under normal wear and tear.
That’s why this month on the blog we’re diving into everything about upholstery materials, so you know what to look out for, what to avoid, and when a custom solution may be your best bet.
When it comes to fabrics you may think you have to choose between style and functionality – something either beautiful and delicate or durable but uncomfortable, well that’s not the case. There are a lot of stylish and strong options. Keep reading for our complete upholstery guide.
Our Go-To Upholstery Fabrics
Out of the wide range of upholstery fabrics out there we’ve rounded up our top picks. When it comes to getting the most out of your investment, you can’t go wrong with one of these selections.
Velvet is a soft luxurious fabric that exudes elegance and sophistication. It’s considered a cousin to chenille, as it’s also a plush tufted fabric but is dense and has a smoother appearance. Like chenille, it was made from silk and more delicate in its original form, but modern velvets are durable and often made from cotton, polyester, or blended materials.
We recommend performance velvet which is usually made from polyester or poly-cotton blends. It’s strong, highly durable, and easy to clean. Not to mention it looks soft and delicate so you get the best of both worlds.
Chenille is a very soft and sumptuous fabric. It's fabricated from yarn and made with a raised tufted pile, which gives it a sheen. Traditionally it was made from silk, but today can be manufactured from cotton, wool, polyester, rayon, or a blend of materials.
Chenille is soft, thick, and durable. You can find it with a smooth or a textured chunky surface. It’s not resistant to stains, so if spills or messes occur you can vacuum or spot-clean them.
Cotton is a popular, pretty durable fabric choice. It’s breathable, fade-resistant, and holds up well to daily use. However, it does stain but can be washed or dry cleaned. Durability does depend on the type of weave, as heavier weaves are usually more durable than lighter weaves.
We love brushed cotton. As the name suggests, it’s made from cotton that is brushed during the manufacturing process, which raises the fibers giving it a very soft cozy feel, similar to wool. When blended with polyester it’s a more durable upholstery option.
Polyester is a synthetic fabric where strands have been bonded together. It’s low maintenance, durable, very easy to clean, lightweight, and affordable. It’s resistant to liquids and stains – spills just rest on top of the fabric rather than soak in and can be easily wiped up.
Microfiber is a type of tightly woven polyester and has a soft velvety texture. It’s durable, resistant to fading and moisture, and also very easy to clean. Both fabrics are great choices for families with kids and pets.
One of the most durable natural materials, leather is long-lasting and looks even better with age. Not to mention, it’s resistant to stains, as spills can be easily wiped away.
It can fade when exposed to too much direct sunlight and shows scratches, but that is part of the material’s natural aging process. If you’re worried about kids and pets scratching your leather sofa you could always go for distressed leather that’s meant to look worn and lived in.
Leather furniture is high quality, versatile, classic, and sophisticated. It can go with a range of styles and other furnishings, making a leather sofa or chair a staple in any home.
If you’re looking for the best in terms of durability and aesthetics then performance fabrics get our top vote. They refer to fabrics that have been designed with durability in mind, super fabrics so to speak.
We highly recommend Crypton fabrics, which are not only resistant to stains, moisture, and odors, but they’re easy to clean and sustainable fabric choices also.
Crypton offers a variety of fabrics, made from a range of synthetic and natural materials. During manufacturing the fabrics are immersed in a patented solution and then heat-treated to seal the stain and moisture protection onto each fiber. This treatment is made to last as long as the fabric and they never need to be re-treated.
Crypton fabrics include knits, flat woven, textured, and printed fabrics that have the look and feel of cotton, chenille, velvet, leather, and more.
Linen is a soft semi-durable material as it resists pilling and fading. It’s great if you’d like a casual yet elevated aesthetic. However, like linen clothing, it can wrinkle and stain. So it’s best used for low-traffic areas like a primary bedroom or a more formal sitting area.
We know that you can’t always avoid spills or stains, so if your linen sofa gets a little dirty, you can spot-clean the area. We recommend performance linen for a more durable option.
Other great performance fabrics we love to incorporate in our projects are Sunbrella or Perennials.
Sunbrella makes acrylic fabrics that are resistant to fading, stains, and mold. Originally made for outdoor use they are strong and hold up to the elements. They have a range of indoor and outdoor fabrics that mimic the look and feel of cotton, linen, and canvas.
Perennials fabrics are made from solution-dyed acrylic fibers. They are resistant to fading, mildew, and mold and are easy to clean. They offer over 900 fabrics that can be used both for your interior and exterior spaces.
We recommend both of these fabrics for your outdoor spaces like seating and umbrellas, but also for indoor use like dining chairs, playrooms, banquette seat cushions, bar stools, or even your high traffic living room sofa like the below done in the Restoration Hardware Cloud Sectional. They’re perfect for high-traffic dining and entertaining areas where eating and drinking frequently occur.
Why Get Custom Upholstery?
When selecting the right furnishings for a space there are a lot of factors involved. You need to find pieces that complement the style of the space, are the right dimensions, and fit the color palette. On top of that the upholstery type has to work for your lifestyle. For example, a piece of furniture you fall in love with might be the perfect style but the fabric type or color is totally off.
That’s why we love to incorporate customizable pieces in our projects. It opens the door to a wide range of possibilities and allows us to tailor furnishings to fit your needs exactly. For a lot of our clients, that means durable and family-friendly pieces.
Many large furniture retailers like Crate & Barrel, West Elm, and Arhaus only offer their customizable products to interior designers. So when you work with us, you’ll benefit from our exclusive access to designer-only showrooms and vendors. These vendors offer made-to-order products with hundreds of high-performance grade fabrics that range in type, color, and texture. You’ll get so much more value than you’d be able to on your own.
With CGD, you can rest assured that your investment will be made to last and you won’t regret any of your furniture purchases. We know how frustrating it can be to buy a new sofa to later realize the fabric is just not going to hold up. We do all the legwork to ensure that’s something you’ll never have to worry about!
Family-Friendly Design Dos and Don’ts
When designing a home that functions well for kids and pets you of course want to include durable fabrics, but that’s not all. For more family-friendly design advice, we’re highlighting some important dos and don’ts below.
Do
Go with solid sturdy furnishings with rounded edges
Select performance-grade fabrics
Choose mid-toned or patterned fabrics
Give kids their own spaces to play
Incorporate plenty of storage
Include soft plush surfaces in kids' spaces
Don’t
Incorporate delicate furniture
Have all hard surfaces
Choose pieces with rough or sharp edges
Select light or dark fabric colors for kid zones
If you want to incorporate custom, family-friendly upholstered furniture and fabrics in your home, but aren’t sure where to start, then CGD has got you covered! Whether you need to renovate multiple rooms or only update furnishings and accents, we offer a range of custom design packages from full-service interior design to furnishing and styling. Contact us today to get started!