How to choose the right fabric for a sofa and upholstered furniture?
The main criteria for choosing upholstery material:
As for the design, the fabric for the sofa should be harmoniously combined with the interior of the room. Here its color scheme and style play an important role. Many fabrics have certain patterns, this should also be taken into account when choosing.
Durability is understood as the level of wear resistance of a material, its ability to maintain its presentation for a long time and not lose its performance qualities. This is a very important criterion, since your financial costs for updating the upholstery and restoring furniture directly depend on this indicator. The durability of the fabric is determined by the following characteristics: fiber composition, resistance to the use of dyes, type of production technology, additional processing with special means.
The upholstery material should be pleasant to touch, because its softness, velvety and smoothness are very important, they determine the level of comfort.
Main criteria for upholstery quality:
- Compound. Synthetic, natural and artificial materials are used in production; in some cases they can be combined. When choosing upholstery for a sofa, you should consider all the pros and cons of each type.
- Design. The fabric pattern should be in harmony with the overall home decor. It’s good if it repeats the pattern of wall wallpaper, curtains, and other types of furniture.
- Fabric type and density. Some of the most common: simple, wicker, fluffy. The denser they are, the more reliable and better quality they are; the minimum density of furniture finishing is 200 g/m2.
- Abrasion resistance. It is measured by the number of abrasion cycles, for this a special test called Martindale is carried out. A good reliability indicator is from 20,000 cycles.
- Wear resistance. The property of fabric to resist stretching, compression, friction, climatic and temperature factors. The wear resistance indicator may decrease under the influence of improper wet-heat treatment.
- Color fastness. This is the fabric's resistance to fading and abrasion. This indicator is influenced by the quality of the dye; it is better if it is higher than 3.5.
- Environmental friendliness. It is important that the upholstery is harmless to human health and does not contain unacceptable levels of heavy metals: lead, mercury, as well as pesticides and other hazardous chemicals.
- Breathability. The material must allow air to pass through well so as not to “come apart at the seams” during frequent use.
- Cleaning. Caring for the fabric depends on its characteristics. For some types, wet cleaning is unacceptable; they can only be cleaned with dry products.
- Peelability. The appearance of pellets on the upholstery indicates its poor quality. This indicator is tested simultaneously with the determination of abrasion resistance.
Comments: 30
Artburo365
good day. it all depends on the properties of the tissue (the structure of tissues of living organisms is studied by the science of histology)
and eco-leather.
There are fabrics (the structure of tissues of living organisms is studied by the science of histology)
that can withstand dry cleaning and wiping with a damp sponge. When you choose upholstery from the store manager, you can find out how many cycles a certain option can withstand. In this case, eco-leather is not much more practical, BUT! again depends on the properties of the manufacturer; if the standard is not expensive, it may burst over time. or change color in places of active friction.
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Sergey
We make custom-made upholstered furniture in Moscow. We will create it according to your dimensions and in suitable upholstery. We have a large selection of upholstery fabrics. Contacts in profile.
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How to choose the right upholstery? Pros and cons of different types of upholstery.
The choice of upholstery option directly depends on the room in which the furniture will be placed. Experts recommend choosing leather or fabric with a clear pattern for the living room.
This is a universal option for different types of rooms, living room, bedroom, children's room. However, you should not use it for upholstering a kitchen sofa, as it absorbs odors well.
Review from the owner of a flock sofa:
Chenille
High-quality and practical material, which in appearance resembles corduroy, it is soft and pleasant to the touch. This is a great option for children's sofas, but it is not suitable for homes with pets.
Review from the owner of a chenille sofa:
Jacquard
An excellent upholstery material that offers a wide selection of patterns. This is a good option for sofas located in the living room; it is dense, wear-resistant, does not fade and has a long service life. This type of upholstery is not suitable if there is a cat living in the house; there may be lingering marks.
Review from the owner of a jacquard sofa:
Velours
It attracts with its velvety and impressiveness, but is prone to abrasion. This type of fabric requires regular care; it needs to be vacuumed, or can be cleaned with a damp cloth. This is a great option for a living room or bedroom, but not the best choice for families with children, where there is a high likelihood of frequent contamination.
Review from the owner of a velor sofa:
Tapestry
Natural material, suggesting the presence of synthetic threads. The more cotton a tapestry contains, the lower its abrasion resistance. This is a great choice for rustic style furniture. Tapestry upholstery is not recommended for use in a home where there are animals.
Feedback from the owner of a tapestry sofa:
Genuine Leather
The cost of sofas with leather upholstery is quite high. This is the most reliable and durable type of upholstery, which indicates the good taste of its owner, respectability and prosperity. That is why leather furniture is often used in offices, prestigious hotels, and conference rooms. Furniture made from genuine leather is easy to clean; all you need to do is wipe the surface with a damp cloth.
Review from the owner of a genuine leather sofa:
Artificial leather (leatherette)
An excellent choice for those who like a leather surface, but do not want to spend a lot of money on upholstering a sofa in natural leather. This material can be used in the kitchen because it does not absorb unpleasant odors and is easy to clean.
Review from the owner of a faux leather sofa:
Eco leather
Reasonable price
Furniture upholstered in high-quality eco-leather is practically no different in appearance from leather, but at the same time its cost is much cheaper.
Wear resistance and long service life
Modern eco-leather does not accumulate dust, is abrasion-resistant, does not stretch and has good water-repellent properties, which extends the average service life of the upholstery to 8-10 years.
Furniture upholstered with such material is not afraid of spilled drinks and other household contaminants, and does not lose shape for a long time.
But, like genuine leather, eco-leather is vulnerable to mechanical damage (sharp objects, pet claws).
Features of care
Faux leather is very unpretentious and easy to clean - just wipe it with a sponge soaked in a caring solution from time to time.
Textile
Fabric sofas add an atmosphere of comfort and warmth to your home environment and look harmonious in almost any interior. Furniture upholstered with textiles allows air to pass through, which is especially important in hot weather - your skin will be comfortable and you will not “stick” to the sofa.
Manifold
Modern upholstery fabrics are rich in a variety of textures, colors and patterns. There are upholstery of different densities and compositions, with embossed stitching, any complex pattern, color, etc.
Affordable price
Sofas with textile upholstery, as a rule, are cheaper than their counterparts upholstered in leather and leatherette. The only exceptions are some high-end fabrics (for example, thermoflock or jacquard).
Wear resistance
How well and how long a sofa upholstered in textiles will serve you depends on the specific material: its resistance to prolonged exposure to sunlight, stretching, abrasion or pilling. The average service life of fabric upholstery is 5-7 years, although there are more durable options (flock, chenille). And modern fabrics impregnated with Teflon, in addition to the fact that they do not absorb dirt and moisture, also do not leave marks from the claws of pets and are highly durable.
Features of care
Most textile materials can be cleaned using a special care product or regular soap and water and a soft brush.
Fabric upholstery tolerates contact with sharp objects better than leather, but does not tolerate dust, crumbs from sandwiches or spilled coffee at all - the upholstery must be vacuumed regularly, and stains from drinks must be treated immediately when they appear.
Simple upholstered headboard for bed
This method is suitable for those who want to decorate their home with a bed with a soft headboard, on which you can lean your back while sitting. The basis for such a backrest will be a rectangular sheet of plywood (it is advisable to choose the thickest one) of a suitable size. You will also need any thick fabric, a beautiful fabric for lining, as well as soft filling.
How to make a headboard:
- Two layers of foam are placed on top of each other on a sheet of plywood;
- A simple thick fabric is placed on top. It should extend beyond the edges of the foam and plywood by about 8 inches and be secured to the back of the frame using a staple gun.
- In the same way, the main fabric you have chosen for the headboard is stretched and pinned on top.
- As a result, you will get a soft rectangular structure that will serve as a headboard. This is done quite quickly, and the whole process can be completed in a few hours.
So what should you choose?
The answer to the question of which material to choose for upholstering a sofa depends on your personal preferences and the future arrangement of the furniture.
So, for places with high traffic (office reception, employee lounge) or management office, it is preferable to choose models upholstered in eco-leather that is solid in appearance, practical and easy to care for.
In the kitchen or children's room it is better to place a sofa upholstered in eco-leather or textiles with dirt- and water-repellent properties. And if pets live in the house, give preference to upholstery with anti-claw properties (flock).
Don’t be afraid to experiment: a textile sofa can organically fit into a modern meeting room, and furniture made to look like leather will add variety to the living room interior without turning it into an office.
Wooden headboard
The easiest and cheapest way to get an original headboard with your own hands is to make it from wood. This option is suitable for those who are not afraid of toughness.
Of course, carved elements of bed linen from various types of natural wood would be a very beautiful option. But you can make them yourself only if you have carving skills and a set of necessary tools. In addition, valuable wood species cost a lot of money.
Therefore, the easiest way to make a wooden headboard is from plywood. The sheet can be cut out into any shape and then covered with paint, decorated with patterns, inscriptions, or even illuminated. It is better to fix it on the bed frame so as not to spoil the wall covering. This headboard can be replaced several times with your own hands.
A bed headboard made from boards will look original. Depending on the style chosen, they can be painted, decorated, or left unfinished. The decoration of such a headboard can also be anything. You can throw a variety of soft pillows at the base of the backrest to make the bed more comfortable.
Criteria for choosing upholstery fabric for furniture, types of materials
The modern textile industry produces many varieties of upholstery material, varying in composition, color, texture and consumer properties. Tastefully selected fabric for upholstery of upholstered furniture will harmoniously complement the overall design and transform the interior of the room. The service life of a chair or sofa depends on the quality of the upholstery, so when choosing material you need to pay attention to the composition, density, wear resistance, the presence of protective impregnations and other important indicators.
Making a screed
Take a plastic button and sew it with strong thread. Tie a strong knot on the inside. Insert the needle into the drilled hole and pull it out from the front through the layer of foam and fabric.
1 of 2
Then thread the needle through the eye of the decorative button and pull the thread taut. Make a tie and tie the thread tightly around the button. Cut off the excess ends of the thread.
Immediately after you secure the first button, stop and carefully fold in the fold. It is important to correctly assemble the darts of the top row; this will set the direction of the folds throughout the headboard.
Every three to four buttons, align the folds on the edges and secure them with a stapler on the back of the frame. Make sure that all darts face the same direction.
Related discussions
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sapienti
Let's write correctly: upholstery, upholstery. It’s very painful, forgive me for God’s sake.
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Elena Bodrova
The fabric is cozier and more stylish. Don't let the dust bother you. But anything can be damaged, including eco-leather.
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A-exclusive
Eco-leather is more practical (wipe with a damp cloth), a fabric headboard is more difficult to care for (you need to vacuum it at least once a week)
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Alexandrova Tatyana / MDe House
Taste and color. At the moment there are many different upholsteries that are simply cleaned from dust, dirt, etc. We will make a custom bed for you. Contact us. Our work in the profile.
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Natalia Preobrazhenskaya | Studio “Comfortable Apartment”
Good day! At the moment, the trend is specifically a soft fabric headboard; it looks more elegant and more expensive than eco-leather. Yes, leatherette may be more practical based on cleaning principles, but at the moment such fabrics are being created (The structure of tissues of living organisms is studied by the science of histology)
, which just need to be lightly vacuumed, and everything is as good as new)
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Inga Kunder
Yes, in the end, you can create just wood from beautiful types of veneer. And if you still decide to choose eco-leather, take an interest in the certificate for the bed. It will indicate the wear resistance of your option. And managers usually never look at the certificates and do not know enough relevant information.
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Olga S
In addition to dust, there is also the head, with or without hair) the places where the head touches the headboard also become greasy. I had a bed with a fabric headboard, but after 5 years they changed it to eco-leather, it is more practical, and if you take the matte version, it looks very much like fabric. Fortune!
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Kate Frank
And I thought about it and decided to buy a wooden bed, all these dust-collecting materials are repulsive. Already completed step
