Furniture with curves, like the Art Deco chairs seen to the right, often look best upholstered in solid colored fabric.
To work as a professional interior designer, you need to know your fabric. When I take on a new design job, many times my client asks me to reupholster an heirloom piece with beautiful bones but outdated fabric. Although antique and vintage furniture was built to last for generations, oftentimes these pieces need to be reupholstered to fit in with modern day décor.
If you’re thinking of updating the furniture in your Dallas home but have never shopped for upholstery fabric before, you might be feeling overwhelmed with your choices. However, once you know what to look for, you can narrow down your options pretty quickly.
For Heavily-Used Furniture, Look for Durable Fabrics
Before you think about color and pattern, consider durability. Will your furniture get everyday use? Do you have young children or pets? In either case, durability should be your top priority. One easy way to check the durability of a fabric is to look at its rub test score.
Fabric manufacturers test their products by performing a rub test, using a machine to rub the fabric in a back-in-forth motion until it finally shows signs of wear. As you shop, keep the following numbers in mind:
For the most durability, consider using outdoor-friendly fabric brands.
3000 double rubs: Light use only.
9000 double rubs: Medium duty. Suitable for infrequent use, like formal dining chairs.
15,000 or more double rubs: Heavy duty, suitable for frequent use.
50,000 or more double rubs: Suitable for commercial use.
Durable fabrics that are “life-friendly” include Sunbrella indoor or outdoor fabric, faux suede, and Crypton fabrics (which are water and stain resistant). You should also double-check whether your fabric will be fade resistant if your room gets a lot of sun.
For Decorative Furniture, Go for Style
On the other hand, if you’re buying fabric for a decorative piece that won’t be sat on very often, your options are wide open. Silk is a delicate fabric that should only be used in low-traffic areas where messes and spills are unlikely to happen. Tibetan wool and Belgian linen are other deluxe options if durability is unimportant. Bedroom headboards, decorative pillows, and chairs in formal living rooms are great places to use that delicate fabric that you love.
In this Dallas bedroom, you can see an example of an upholstered headboard as well as an upholstered, striped bench.
Mixing the Right Textures
Texture is something to think about when you’re redesigning a whole room. You can keep things interesting by mixing different upholstery textures in the space: leather, velvet, wool, linen, and cotton all have their own unique textures that can play off each other.
Lots of different upholstery textures play off of each other in this game room we designed.
For thread counts, generally the higher, the better, as they increase the longevity of the fabric. Long, natural fibers with a fluffy texture are not advised for allergy sufferers because they collect dirt, dust, and pet hairs.
Picking the Best Colors and Patterns for Your Piece
Whenever possible, try to see the fabrics you’re interested in in person, or ask for a swatch. Most designers recommend choosing a neutral color for your sofa upholstery instead of a bold color or pattern. The risk in choosing a trendy color or pattern is that you may tire of it in a few years. You can always add more color and personality to your sofa with patterned throw pillows.
A pair of upholstered mohair chairs provide additional seating in this north Dallas home office.
Keep in mind that curvaceous furniture looks best with solid color fabric. If you try to get your curvy furniture upholstered with a pattern, especially a striped pattern, it may look “choppy” and flow poorly over the lines of your piece. Solid color fabrics can also help tone down a piece of furniture with unusual shapes and lines.
Dark colors, beiges, and grays are the best colors for concealing dirt. That said, dark fabrics will also fade in sunlight more quickly, so light fabrics are better for sunny rooms.
There’s nothing quite like seeing an old piece of furniture come back from the upholsterer, transformed in its new fabric. Now that you know what to look for, you’re that much closer to finding the perfect fabric for your project.
If you still feel limited by the options you see in the store, you can also work with an interior designer—designers can connect you with a wider variety of fabrics and will know the best upholsterers working in your area. To schedule a free consultation with us, send an email to info@chambersinteriors.com or call our Dallas office at 214-232-9501.