CHOOSING A SUITABLE FABRICS FOR YOUR SOFA

Choosing a fabric for the sofa is a little more taxing than choosing a new dress at the shop.  You are not able to try it out in the fitting room. With so many available choices these days, it can be pretty overwhelming; especially when u are only given some sample swatches to look at.

 

So I hope these tips will help “ease the pains”and make your selection a breeze..

 

100% Natural fibres  or Synthetic Fabrics

With our hot and humid weather here in Singapore, cotton definitely provides a cool respite and is one of our more popular choice here.  However, cotton being cotton is also very absorbent and are prone to creases and shrinkage.  If you are using it for a removable covers and plan on washing it often, I will advise making it a size bigger to allows shrinkage. Being absorbent also means absorbing all stains quickly!  So preferably choose one that is treated with some kind of stain protector.

Linen and silk are more delicate and I will not recommend it for sofa with heavy use.

Synthetic fabrics are man made to imitate natural fibres but with better resistance and quality. The various types of  synthetic fabrics commonly found are polyester, nylon, acrylic and olefin. They are often blend to create a more durable and upholstery resistant fabric that is suitable for everyday use.  Consider one that is blend with natural fibres if you are opting for a cooler effect.

 

Martindale Tests & Double Rub Test

These are  rub tests used to measure the durability of a fabric.  During the test,  the fabrics are vigorously rubs to simulate everyday wear. Test ends when fabric starts to tear or split and the results are given in number of cycles it take to break the yarn.  You can easily find fabrics boasting a very impressive 50000 and above rubs.  But unless you have an army marching through your living room everyday, a 20000 to 25000 rubs are more than sufficient for home use.

 

Colour and Texture

Neutral colours are always a safe option. It easily blends with the other elements in the room. These are especially true in the larger sofas and sectionals. You can easily accessorised with pillows and throws in various prints and colours. However for smaller pieces like chairs and ottoman, you may consider something with prints or brighter colours to liven up the room.

Just a note when you are reupholstering - a big change of colour is refreshing but it can also be quite overwhelming.  On quite a few occasions I have clients telling me that they were “shocked” when they get their sofa back because they are so used to the previous colour. But in most cases, they get over it after a few days and welcome the change.  So unless you are the more adventurous ones, I recommend only a subtle change in texture and colour.

 

A note to consider here is also colour fastness. Avoid darker fabrics if your sofa is near a bright window and  is constantly exposed to indirect sunlight. Especially so if you are looking at natural fabrics. It will fades and partial fading is most unsightly.


I could go on and bored you with more things to consider. But it really isn't that difficult. Remember the more you see the more confusing you get. So think about the colour scheme and type of fabrics you are after and zoom in on those selections. 


And as I often tell my clients, fabrics in a showroom may looks good but does it look right in your house? So best to get the samples  home so that you have a better feel of how it looks in your house.  That's one of the main reason for arranging a home visit with me! 


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sofa Reupholstered!

Image
 Time and again we came across sofas that had seen much better days and being discarded by the owner. But most time, its just cosmetics damage. Frames and structures are still solid. There's no reason to just write it off as trash.  With some TLC from our skilled upholsterer, it can be restored to its former glory and be of good use for several more years.  Here's a good example of one that we recently have the honour to reupholster. It was a 2 piece leather sectional that had served the family well.  To be precise, for 13 years. Their children practically grew up on this sofa.. scratched marks, spills and shifted foams... no longer a pleasing sight to look at. it was left out at the porch while a brand new purchase took it place.  But the owner felt that despite that, it can be restored, reupholstered and put to use again as a second sofa in the house.  Here's the transformation...  The leather had peeled, exposing the fibre ply underneath.  The ...
Read more

Reupholster for a fresh look!

Image
 On the same subject of Reupholster to Save Trees, Jazz it Up is once again very honoured to reupholster this same chair and long ottoman 3 times over the span of 15 years. Each time to keep up with the changing colour scheme and to coordinate with the new sofa the client had recently purchased.  I do not have photos of the original fabrics but I do remember it was a plain fabrics with no prints.  It was back in 2013 when she first approached us to reupholster these 2 pieces. Reupholstered in 2013 with this Chinoise print   More colours are needed. So in 2016 we had reupholstered with this lively turquoise geometric prints.  And once again, now in 2020, owner is on the move again. She has also acquired a new sofa in a cheerful turquoise blue.  But the chair and ottoman no longer match. Too much blues. We needed a fabric in a different tone but yet able to compliments the new sofa.  So with some careful considerations, she has settled for this woven pri...
Read more