Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Your upholstery and drapery are what typically give your room that comfort factor that is sometimes hard to achieve. Boucle is a fabric or yarn with a looped surface. Upholstery fabrics are sometimes light enough for window treatments and slipcovers. The natural fabrics are cotton, linen and silk. Nylon is a manufactured fiber that is exceptionally strong, elastic, and lustrous. Damask is characterized by elaborate floral motifs that are usually monochromatic or a maximum of two colors in matte and polished weave combinations. It may make more sense to avoid a very bold upholstery fabric color for a smaller room, especially if your furniture piece is also large. Fabrics are versatile and allow for quick and inexpensive reinventions. Easy-care and less expensive than leather, vinyl is ideal for busy family living and dining rooms and, durability depends on quality. Consider the size of the pattern on the piece of upholstery fabric. Consider whether it is appropriate for the size of the furniture it is covering, as well as the room size. Acetate offers only fair resistance to soil and tends to wear, wrinkle, and fade in the sun. Ideally, upholstery fabric should compliment your room’s decor and the furniture itself while also proving practical for your needs. This natural fiber provides good resistance to wear, fading, and pilling. It is less resistant to soil, wrinkling, and fire. Choose an upholstery fabric based on who will be using that piece of furniture. Silk is derived from silk worms and has been a symbol of luxury since forever. When blended with wool, polyester can cause pilling. Acrylic is a synthetic fiber and was developed as imitation wool. When purchasing an upholstered piece or upholstery fabric, be aware that the higher the thread count, the more tightly woven the fabric is, and the better it will wear. Jacquard is a fabric having woven patterns such as tapestries, brocades, and damasks. Jacquard designs may be simple or very elaborate. Is your furniture in a traditionally themed living room that is only used on occasion? Upholstery is the art of providing furniture with padding and covering generally in the form of upholstery fabric. Jacquard is a heavier fabric that tends to be multicolored and used for upholstery, as well as drapery. Consider the luxuries of silk upholstery fabric and its gorgeous appeal. Velvet is used in everything from garments and upholstery to bedspreads and drapery. Chenille upholstery fabric comes in many different styles and colors, including patterns and textures. Wool blends can be spot-cleaned when necessary. Latex is a substance often used as a back coating on fabrics to make them easier to upholster. It is a milky white liquid that is extracted from the rubber tree, milkweed plant, or the poppy family. Determine where your upholstered pieces will be used in the home before buying your upholstery fabric. Generally, wool is blended with a synthetic fiber to make it easier to clean and to reduce the possibility of felting the fibers (causing them to bond together until they resemble felt). There are natural fabrics such as mohair, wools and cashmeres, which are made from sheered and woven animal fur. Chenille tends to be a family favorite upholstery fabric. The attractiveness of the napped suede look has lead to microsuede gaining in popularity in upholstery fabric applications, replicating the feel of real suede and adding stain resistance and durability, in addition to lower costs. Linen is best to wash it in cold water to avoid shrinkage. All leathers display a variety of unique natural markings and variations in color. Acrylic fibers are also man made and include such brand names as Orlon, Acrilan, Dolan and Dralon. Rarely used alone in upholstery, polyester is blended with other fibers to add wrinkle resistance, eliminate crushing of napped fabrics, and reduce fading. Low-quality acrylic may pill excessively in areas that receive high degrees of abrasion.