So you’ve successfully found an upholstery service that has agreed to fix up your sofa. Now
The upholsterer takes out a whole book of fabric samples for you to choose from and proceeds to explain about each fabric’s composition, thread count, seam strength, resistance to abrasion, fraying and a few more things you that you never thought of
At that moment, you realize that choosing a fabric is so much more than simply choosing one that will make your sofa look pretty — you also have to take into account how the fabric itself can fit into your unique lifestyle and needs.
Feeling overwhelmed? Here are the 3 key questions you need to think about when picking a fabric for your sofa.
Question 1: “How will my sofa be used day-to-day?”
When deciding whether or not a sofa fabric is right for you, it’s important to think about the situations and activities you will be putting your sofa through on a day-to-day basis.
Are your kids going to be jumping on it? Is it your favourite thing to be curled up on the sofa with a book and a glass of wine? Or are you thinking about hosting regular movie nights with snacks being passed around your sofa?
If you answered “yes” to most (if not all) of those questions, then you’ll probably want a fabric that’s comfortable, resilient and easy to maintain.
Cotton-based fabrics are known for their soft texture, high durability, and in most cases are machine-washable, which can be convenient when it’s time to clean your sofa.
Question #2: “Who’s going to use the sofa?”
If you’re struggling with pets and kids damaging your furniture, then you know how important it is to have a
One of our favourites for active homes: Leather, which can deliver a classy and elegant look while still being durable and easy to maintain.
Why? Things like pet fur, paw prints, and accidental spills can be easily wiped off without needing to be cleaned as often as woven fabrics like cotton or linen.
Question #3: “How easy is it to clean?”
As you know, one of the drawbacks of upholstered sofas is that the fabric is directly attached to the sofa.
One way around this issue is to get a removable sofa slipcover that’s made from upholstery-grade fabric instead.
This will make your sofa so much easier to clean and maintain while giving you the option to swap between multiple fabrics (read: more looks and colours to play with) for your sofa.
A slipcover can also be a time-saving (and often more affordable) solution if you don’t have the time to find an upholsterer and make the necessary arrangements to transport your sofa to have it reupholstered.
Thinking of getting a sofa slipcover? Take our slipcover fabrics for a test run here: