The type of upholstery fabric you choose for your new sofa or armchair can make a really big difference when it comes to the look and feel of your room. It might not be the top of your list when it comes to interior design, but we think it can be one of those small details that will help you transform your room from good to stunning.

But what sort of upholstery should you choose? The look and feel of the fabric are not all there is to consider. Different materials will have different properties and suit different uses.

 

Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular upholstery fabrics and their uses, so you can make an informed decision on which fabric you need.

LEATHERETTE

Before going into the leatherette’s properties, pros and cons, it’s important to make the distinction between natural and synthetic upholstery fabrics. Natural fabrics are those made from natural sources. These include leatherette, linen, cotton, and wool. These all come from nature and require little in the way of processing. Synthetic fabrics, on the other hand, are made in laboratories and include polyester, nylon, rayon, and acrylic.

Leatherette is a very comfortable and luxurious fabric which can bring a real sense of class to your room. It’s easy to wipe clean too, so is perfect if you have pets or young children. The only real downside of leatherette is that it’s one of the more expensive upholstery fabrics on the market.

 

WOOL

Wool is another natural fabric. It’s easy to dye, so comes in a wide range of colours and patterns. It can also be blended with other synthetic fabrics to give them better qualities. Wool-synthetic blends can be made more resistant to pilling, soiling, and fading.

The only downside of wool is that it’s again more expensive than synthetic fabrics. But it is very long lasting, so some would see it as worth the investment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COTTON

Cotton is the last of the natural fabrics we’ll be reviewing. Like wool, it’s easy to dye, so comes in a whole range of colours and patterns. It can also be blended with other synthetic materials to change its properties, adding texture and durability. However, pure cotton is still the most comfortable and resistant natural material there is.

CHENILLE

Chenille’s main advantages are its ease of maintenance, longevity, and array of colours and patterns. In this respect, it has all the same advantages as wool and cotton, but often comes at a much lower price. It’s also easy to clean but is also more prone to staining, so might not be the best choice if you have children or pets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VELVET

Velvet is essentially an imitation of wool but is often a lot cheaper. It has all the same benefits as wool in terms of coming in a variety of colours and patterns, as well as being easy to clean and hard wearing. Velvet is also an incredibly popular upholstery fabric.

Velvet is often blended with natural fabrics to improve its longevity, so it’s unlikely that you’ll find it on its own. However, it can be more flammable than other upholstery fabrics, but this isn’t true for all types of velvet fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whichever upholstery fabric you choose we can help with the selection and assist you further with any of your upholstery projects and plans.

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