Undertaking a room makeover complete with new fabric for your furniture is an exciting – and sometimes overwhelming – time. There are many decisions that need to be made, from the color of the fabric, how the furniture is being used – family or formal sitting room use – the look you’re going for in the room itself – warm or cool – and many other items, not the least of which is the pattern and color of the material itself. Don’t forget to consider whether the furniture will be in a high-traffic area of the house or will be reserved for special occasions. Also, you need to know whether the furniture will be exposed to daily sunlight.
The fabrics you choose for your reupholstering job needs to also complement the rest of the furniture and the room itself. Choosing a large pattern may seem like a good idea in the showroom but if you have a small room, this pattern will overwhelm your room and become the center of attention. Will the furniture be part of a room with an overall “warm and cozy” appeal or will you be decorating a cool room? Your fabrics can set the tone and mood for the room.
Remember too that the style of furniture may lend itself to a particular material over any other kind. For example a piece of furniture that sees a lot of traffic would lend itself to being covered in cotton as it’s easy to clean, durable, resists wear and fading. Cotton, however, can become easily stained, which may not work for highly active households. A cotton blend fabric brings with it the benefits of cotton and the added one that it is easy to clean.
Don’t rule leather out of your fabric options because it is not only easy to clean it is very forgiving and looks better with age. Consider if you live in a warm, steamy area of the country that leather might be sticky but linen is a great choice as it is absorbent and cool. Don’t use silk on your furniture unless it is in an area that isn’t high traffic because if silk gets soiled you will need to have it professionally cleaned. Even water droplets can damage the color and print on silk fabrics.
Choose a wool or wool blend if you’re looking for a durable, water resistant material, as wool is also not prone to pilling, wrinkling or fading. Wool is cool in winter and warm in the summer. Don’t rule out microfiber fabrics either as they are very popular and are resistant to wrinkles and stains. Microfiber is also very comfortable and family friendly.
Take your time when choosing upholstery fabric to make certain it’s one you can live with for years to come.
