Shopping for a new sofa or buying that dreamy arm chair from the DFS sale is a big investment. So, a couple of months after you’ve carefully angled your new prized possession to face the TV, but still have a good view out the window, you don’t want to find your furniture upholstery snagged or stained.
Choosing the right upholstered fabric can be the key to keeping your furniture fresh. As you shop, let your practical needs be the leader, consider how you live and who will use the piece. Kids love to get stuck in to things and make quite a mess, which is great, until that mess ends up on what was meant to be your relaxation chair.
Are you not entitled to a new luxury sofa set just because you decided to bring a new life into the world? Or, should you just banish the messy kids to the back room and make your lounge area an adult only zone? Of course not!
There are plenty of upholstery fabrics that are “kid friendly” and won’t have you frantically looking for a pack of wet wipes. Today, there are plenty of upholstery materials that have both good looks and durability.
For children, pets and maybe the odd red-wine indulger, an easy-care material like faux suede could be perfect. Or a distressed leather look could be ideal as you’d never have to worry about the occasional scratch or scruff, needless to say, there are a wide range of fabrics out there to make sure those little chocolate fingerprints disappear easily.
Now there’s a mistake that is often made my amateur fabric pickers (which you’re obviously not as you’ve made the smart choice to read this blog) they don’t take a look down the long road. How will your material age over time? After there have been toys lost down back of the sofa, when the cushions have been made into a fort or when your drapes have been used as the regular hide-and-seek spot. You may then fall out of love with your fresh new leather coach.
What shape are you looking for? If you’re a fan of the curvaceous piece, try sticking to solid-coloured fabrics as patterns or textures may not upholster well. The solid colour stance also works a charm for larger pieces such as sofas, you’re less likely to get bored of a rich solid colour or a cool classic neutral shade. Plus, picking a colour that matches a flavour of your kid’s favourite snack could always be beneficial!
Is there a better way to choose your upholstery fabric then by actually testing it out? Sit on it, lie on it, sprawl out – although jumping up and down on it is probably frowned upon. The easiest way to make sure you love something is to see it in the flesh and test it out for yourself. Even if the fabric you’re crushing on isn’t shown on the floor, ask for a swatch you can drape over a furnishing to get an idea of how it will look.
So, there we have it, next time you walk into an SCS or Sofology, you can consider yourself an upholstery expert.