Let’s face it! The first thing that comes to mind when you’re thinking about fabrics for your furniture is usually what colour to pick. But if you want a quality couch that will last, you will want to find the best fabric that suits your unique lifestyle. Choosing the correct upholstery will ensure the longevity of your furniture and make you and your family feel great about it. So, what should you look for?
How to choose fabric for upholstery
Upholstered furniture is evergreen as it remains comfortable, stylish, and luxurious. No wonder why the demand for it has grown by several folds in the last few years as priorities and preferences of people have changed. But today, we don’t just want our furniture to be stylish, we also look for comfort.
Upholstered furniture is not limited to dining chairs, as many would assume from its basic definition of it. You can upholster your sofas, double-seaters, couches and basically any piece of furniture that can be covered in fabric or requires an immediate fabric renewal.
The quality of the fabric is the most important factor in deciding the comfort and looks of upholstered pieces. However, having sufficient expertise in different upholstery materials can help you choose the one that best suits your unique lifestyle.
Polyester fabrics
In need of that expensive feel in your living room, but your budget still can handle it? Polyester fabrics can help you achieve that easily, thanks to their comfortable and soft nature. Polyester works nearly everywhere in your home, on chairs, sofas, and cushions, and can even replace more delicate fabrics if you have kids and pets in the house.
But its affordability isn’t the only reason why increasingly more homeowners choose to reupholster their furniture with this fabric. Polyester is also super easy to clean, which means you can wash off all kinds of stains. It takes very little to dry out, so you don’t need to shy out from cleaning them often.
Even so, despite their not so environmentally friendly nature, polyester fabrics are slightly breathable and don’t retain odours. However, the only thing you need to be careful about when choosing polyester fabrics is that they are easily inflammable. So, it would be smart if you refrain from smoking near your newly upholstered sofa.
Acetate fabrics
Acetate is a common upholstery material that was initially made to resemble silk in its luster and shine. It’s a synthetic fabric that gives your home and furniture a luxurious feel without even trying too much. Acetate upholstered furniture adds elegance and class to a formal sitting space, but despite its beautiful aspect, acetate is not as durable as other synthetics fabrics.
Acetate may look and feel great in spaces that are rarely used as they can wrinkle, catch stains and scratch easily. You will have to be careful around it, and therefore it’s most suitable to be applied in formal upholstery.
Olefin fabrics
This petroleum-based synthetic fibre it’s particularly durable and is ideally suited in homes where the furniture is used quite often and receives a great deal of wear and tear. If you’re a pet owner and need something that resembles the look and feel of wool, but you’re on a budget, Olefin is your fabric of choice.
Olefin looks like wool but is made from melted plastic which means it is waterproof and is also protected from heat and fire. One of the advantages and a reason enough to choose Olefin if you have pets is that any water-based stain can be easily removed. You can use bleach for cleaning, and it won’t even affect its colour because the dye and plastic are well mixed when making this fabric.
On the other hand, oil-based stains are more difficult to remove from Olefin but impossible. If that’s the case, try leaving the fabrics in the shade and then you can clean them using bleach.
Stain-resistant fabrics
Looking for an easy clean sofa material? Look no further. Stain-resistant fabrics like FiberGuard are not only easy to clean but also environmentally responsible. They are also reliably durable and come in a wide range of designs and characterises, which means they will most likely get a special place in your heart and home.
FiberGuard fabrics have an incredibly light moisture barrier that stops the penetration of liquids into the upholstery. This means that bad odours and mildew caused by accidental spills have little to no chance of attaching to the foam.
This upholstery fabric stain resistant is also fully breathable, and has a gentle touch and feel, not to mention it’s one of the best antimicrobial fabrics: marking every requirement for hygiene while still being incredibly comfortable.
Wool fabrics
Known as one of the most natural and comfortable fabrics, wool is one of the softest and warmest options during winter. Wool is widely applied in areas with cold weather as it retains heat and is specially used in homes with rich interiors.
This 100% natural material is an ideal option for your couches. Not only is wool resistant to fire and water, but when a small amount of water drops on it, you can easily wipe it out. Stains can also be easily removed but try not to spill a lot of liquid on them. Replacing wool upholstery can be quite pricey, so it’s best to send it for dry cleaning when you see dirt on it.