Upholstery on a sofa can define the overall character of a room. Besides the color, type of fiber, durability, ease-of-maintenance, and cost, there are numerous other factors that you may need to consider in order to find the best upholstery fabric for a sofa.
Here in this post, we are sharing with you a selection of seven tips for selecting the best upholstery for your sofa:
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Table of Contents
Should You Buy Plain or Patterned Sofa Fabric?
Fabric that looks great on a two-seater sofa may not look so good on a three-seater or five-seater sofa.
A simple rule of thumb that you can follow: larger sofas look better in textured or plain fabrics and smaller sofas look good in patterned fabrics.
Patterned fabrics can conceal accidental spills and other strains; consider patterned upholstery fabric if the sofa is likely to be used heavily.
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Do You Require a Fade-Resistant Fabric?
The dark and natural fabrics should be kept away from direct sunlight as it is likely to fade too soon.
If you want to place the sofa in a room that gets plenty of sunlight or near a large window, make sure to either choose a lighter shade or opt for a fade-resistant fabric.
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Is A High-Thread Count Important?
A high thread-count in fabrics is always preferable. Although sofa fabrics with high-thread count tend to cost more, they also last longer and appear luxurious. They are denser and more durable.
Do keep in mind that a cotton or velvet sofa that features a high-thread-count will also require professional cleaning at some point in time. Therefore, consider opting for such sofa fabrics if you need the sofa for personal or professional use in a library or home office.
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Do You Require Pet-Friendly Upholstery Fabric?
If you have pets such as cats and dogs, make sure to avoid delicate upholstery fabric such as silk, wool, and linen. Even when your pets aren’t trying to damage your upholstery, simple acts of sitting, walking, playing or climbing on it can result in a huge cleaning bill.
While you can train your pet on how to behave, the best defense, of course, is to choose a pet-friendly fabric. Here’re a few things that you should keep in mind when searching for a pet-friendly sofa fabric:
- Avoid long natural fibers or fluffy fabrics as they can accumulate a great deal of dust and pet hair.
- Avoid light colors and instead choose dark colors that can easily hide fur and stains. The only exception to this rule occurs when you have a pet with white hair.
- Consider fabrics with a tight weave and especially those with less-complicated textures.
- Microfiber (a synthetic fabric) can be a great choice for pet owners looking for an upholstery fabric that’s easy to clean and maintain. Since there are no loops in the fabric, it’s practically resistant to claw marks.
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How Easy or Difficult Will It Be to Clean the Sofa Fabric?
If you believe you will need to clean the sofa fabric on a regular basis, consider selecting a washable fabric such as cotton.
Do keep in mind that natural fabric blends such as cotton-wool or cotton-linen will almost certainly require professional fabric cleaning. Not all fabrics respond to water treatment in an identical manner. Fabric blends, in particular, are susceptible to shrink when you wash them at home.
If you are unsure of how to clean or maintain a particular fabric, you can always have a word with upholstery specialists in your area.
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How Much Wear-and-Tear Will Your Sofa Experience?
How you plan on using the sofa will partly determine the choice of sofa fabric. Will it occupy the library or home office where it’s seldom used? Do you plan on using the sofa in the living room where accidental spills are likely?
Luxurious sofa fabrics such as textured blends with wool, silk or linen are ideal for sofas placed in libraries or offices where they are seldom used.
If you have young children or pets at home, cotton fabric is more suitable as it can be easily washed when necessary.
For a sofa in a living room, it’s advisable to opt for durable fabrics such as microfiber blends, faux suede, ultra suede or corduroys. These fabrics are very strong and abrasion-resistant.
Velvet, silk, chenille, etc. are demanding fabrics; they are not suitable if a sofa is likely to suffer heavy wear-and-tear.
Several manufacturers list ‘double-rub rating’ for sofa fabrics. A fabric with a higher double-rub test resting is more durable.
When durability is a serious concern, you may also consider fabrics that have been treated to resist stains or repel water.
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Which Sofa Fabric Color Should You Opt For?
A sofa’s fabric color can enhance or ruin a room’s aesthetics. Fabric’s color can blend in or stand out in comparison to the overall color scheme of a living room, hall, home office or library but in any case, it needs to be in harmony with other elements.
Fabric color becomes important especially when you are adding a sofa to a pre-decorated room or you want the sofa to play a supporting role in the overall aesthetics of a room. When you are selecting fabric color for an existing color pallet, you need to decide on whether you want the sofa to be neutral or take an accent role.
For instance, sofa fabric in a bright color can help create a bold accent but you will find it difficult to redesign the surrounding color scheme.
Sofas in neutral colors such as beige, taupe, cream, and gray are easiest to accommodate in different color settings.
If you want the sofa fabric in a light color, make sure it has washable covers or at least, ensure that the upholstery has been treated by the manufacturer to repel stains.
Guest Post Author:
My name is Daniel Mizrahi. I am the Editor-in-Chief at Danielsdesignhouse.com, Danny’s Design House has been offering upholstery and drapery services for more than 35 years.
